Obverse: identify the front

The illustrated 1887 coin shows Victoria facing left with a small crown and veil. Read the full royal legend. Her portrait is a representative issue within a long milled silver period that also includes other monarchs and portrait styles; it does not redefine the entire range as Jubilee-head coinage.

Reverse: identify the back

Crowned royal arms appear within an order chain, with the split date 18–87 below. Compare the shield and rim legend together. Earlier and later shillings can instead show a denomination within a wreath or a lion design; their actual ruler and date must remain with the appraisal record.

History and purpose

The reference’s named world-silver table separates the .925 milled shilling of 1816–1919 from the .500 issues of 1920–1946. The earlier hammered shilling family also has different standards. The name shilling alone is therefore insufficient to choose this calculator entry.

How to identify this variant

Confirm a British milled shilling dated within 1816–1919 and match its actual ruler/design. The named reference table gives 5.6552 g gross and .1682 oz ASW. An original Victorian auction catalog reports 23.5 mm for its described 1867 and 1885 examples; this is a supporting dimensional reference rather than a customer measurement or an asserted tolerance for every die.

Understanding its metal content

Three matching coins total 0.5046 fine silver troy oz on this reference basis. Separately multiplying 5.6552 g by 0.925 gives 5.2310600 g of nominal silver, or approximately 0.168182 troy oz. The calculator uses the reported reference ASW; it does not silently replace that amount with extra decimal places derived from rounded inputs. Wear, mounts and foreign material require separate examination.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

The covered period has multiple portrait and reverse types, including the illustrated 1887 Jubilee issue. The reference’s KM761 entry distinguishes the proof and ordinary dated versions. Do not apply .925 to a 1920 or later shilling, and do not infer a proof finish for a customer’s piece from the reference holder photograph.

Melt value versus collector value

Keep the actual year, ruler, finish, surface condition and any holder record together. The proof illustration is a design reference, not an assigned grade. Rare dates, original toning and a verified proof attribution can affect appraisal independently of the sterling-silver quantity.

Authenticity and condition

Identify both designs, the complete denomination, actual date and mint details before using the quantity field. Preserve the surface and original holder; do not clean, scratch, bend or acid-test a collectible coin. A plausible weight or resemblance to the reference photographs cannot establish authenticity. Record the rim, scale reading and readable inscriptions for an individual review, and keep uncertain pieces outside the calculated lot.

Selling this coin

Sort this identified type separately from coins with a similar name but another denomination or alloy. Photograph both sides and preserve packaging, certificates and prior provenance. Count the matching pieces and use the existing quote form, which carries the selected coin context. Reference silver content and a collector premium are different parts of appraisal; the calculator does not create an offer for an unseen specimen.

Sources and calculation methodology

The named reference world silver melt row controls 1816–1919, .925, 5.6552 g and .1682 oz ASW. A separate original auction catalog supports the 23.5 mm dimensional reference for its Victorian examples. That reported dimension is not a measurement of this photographed proof or a guarantee for an unexamined coin. The reference governs uncertain metal specifications under the owner-selected source policy. Face identification and photograph reuse rights were reviewed separately. These figures describe reference coinage, not a first-party assay or condition grade. No approved live market feed is connected, so the calculator reports metal quantities without inventing dollar prices.

Common questions

References

• NGC: owner-selected world silver melt standards — identity; weight 5.6552 g; fineness .925; ASW .1682; dates 1816–1919 (checked 2026-10-10)
• NGC: Victoria Jubilee shilling KM761 — identity; dates 1887 proof; design crowned veiled Victoria and arms within order chain; matching metal inputs (checked 2026-10-10)

Issue-year references

• PCGS: George III shilling dates
• PCGS: George IV shilling dates
• NGC: bare-head George IV shilling dates
• NGC: William IV shilling dates
• NGC: early Victoria shilling dates
• PCGS: Victoria shilling dates
• PCGS: Edward VII shilling dates
• PCGS: George V shilling dates and alloy boundary

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-11. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.

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