Finance:Tanzanian shilling

Short description: Currency of Tanzania

Tanzanian shilling

Shilingi za Kitanzania (Swahili)
Template:Shilingi note The Bank of Tanzania headquarters in Dar es Salaam
ISO 4217
Code	TZS (numeric: 834)
Subunit	0.01
Denominations
Subunit
​1⁄100	cent
Banknotes	Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi
Coins	Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi
Demographics
User(s)	Tanzania
Issuance
Central bank	Bank of Tanzania
Website	Bank of Tanzania website
Valuation
Inflation	5.6%
Source	The World Factbook, 2015 est.

The shilling (Swahili: shilingi; abbreviation: TSh; code: TZS) is the currency of Tanzania. It is subdivided into 100 cents (senti in Swahili). The Tanzanian shilling replaced the East African shilling on 14 June 1966 at par.

Notation

Prices in the Tanzanian shilling are written in the form of x/y, where x is the amount above 1 shilling, while y is the amount in cents. An equals sign or hyphen represents zero amount. For example, 50 cents is written as "Template:Shilingi" and 100 shillings as "Template:Shilingi" or "100/-". Sometimes the abbreviation TSh is prefixed for distinction. If the amount is written using words as well as numerals, only the prefix is used (e.g. TSh 10 million).

This pattern was modelled on sterling's pre-decimal notation, in which amounts were written in some combination of pounds (£), shillings (s), and pence (d, for denarius). In that notation, amounts under a pound were notated only in shillings and pence.

Coins

Template:Shilingi obverse

In 1966, coins were introduced in denominations of Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi, with the Template:Shilingi struck in bronze, the Template:Shilingi in nickel-brass (copper-nickel-zinc) and the -/50 and 1/= in cupro-nickel. Cupro-nickel Template:Shilingi coins were introduced in 1972, followed by scalloped, nickel-brass Template:Shilingi in 1977. This First Series coins set, in circulation from 1966 up to 1984, was designed by Christopher Ironside OBE.

In 1987, nickel-plated steel replaced cupro-nickel in the Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi, and cupro-nickel Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi coins were introduced, with the Template:Shilingi decagonal in shape. In 1990, nickel-clad-steel Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi were introduced, followed by brass-plated steel coins for Template:Shilingi in 1993, Template:Shilingi in 1996 and copper-nickel-zinc Template:Shilingi in 1998.

Coins currently in circulation are the Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, and Template:Shilingi. The Template:Shilingi coin was issued on 8 September 2014.

Tanzanian shilling coins
Image	Value	Composition	Diameter	Weight	Thickness	Edge	Issued
	bronze	23.24 mm (dodecagonal)	4.0 g	1.33 mm	Smooth	1966-1984
	nickel-brass	25 mm (scalloped)	5.03 g	1.49 mm	Smooth	1977-1984
	nickel-brass	24 mm	5 g		Smooth	1966-1984
	copper-nickel	21 mm	4 g	1.6 mm	Reeded	1966-1984
	nickel-plated steel	21 mm	4 g	1.8 mm	Reeded	1988-1990
	copper-nickel	27.7 mm	8 g	1.62 mm	Reeded	1966-1984
	nickel-plated steel	23.5 mm	6.5 g		Reeded	1987-1992
	copper-nickel	31.5 mm (decagonal)	13.8 g	2.2 mm	Segmented; five smooth and reeded parts	1972-1980
	copper-nickel	27.5 mm (decagonal)	8.3 g	2 mm	Segmented; five smooth and reeded parts	1987-1989
	nickel-plated steel	27.5 mm (decagonal)	8.52 g	2 mm	Reeded	1990-1993
	copper-nickel	29 mm	9.7 g	2 mm	Reeded	1987-1989
	nickel-plated steel	29 mm	10 g	2.25 mm	Reeded	1990-1993
	nickel-plated steel	32 mm (heptagonal)	13 g	2 mm	Smooth	1990-1992
	brass-plated steel	22 mm (heptagonal)	7.91 g	2.9 mm	Smooth	1996
	brass-plated steel	24.5 mm	9 g	2.7 mm	Reeded	1993
	copper-nickel-zinc	26.8 mm	8 g	2 mm	Segmented; five smooth and reeded parts	1998, 2008, 2014
	nickel-plated steel	27.5 mm	9.5 g	2.4 mm	Reeded	2014

Banknotes

On 14 June 1966, the Benki Kuu Ya Tanzania (Bank of Tanzania) introduced notes for Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi. The Template:Shilingi note was replaced by a coin in 1972. Template:Shilingi notes were introduced in 1985, followed by Template:Shilingi in 1986, Template:Shilingi in 1989 and Template:Shilingi in 1990. The Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi notes were replaced by coins in 1987, 1990, 1996 and 1994, respectively. Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi notes were introduced in 1995, followed by 2,000/= in 2003. A new series of notes came out in 2011. These new notes include many security features that prevent counterfeiting.

Banknotes in circulation today are Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi, Template:Shilingi and Template:Shilingi

Older Series
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Colour	Description			Date of issue
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse	Watermark
		-	Green	Julius Nyerere	Arusha Declaration Monument	Giraffe	-
		-	Blue-violet	Julius Nyerere	General Tyre East Africa Plant
		-	Red	Julius Nyerere	Maasai

1997 Series
Image	Value	Dimensions	Main Color	Description		Date of issue	Watermark
				Obverse	Reverse
[2]	500 /= (Shilingi Mia Tano)	138 x 69 mm	Green	Tanzanian coat of arms; Giraffe; Zebra	Clove harvest; Uhuru Torch	1997	Giraffe
[3]	1000 /= (Shillingi Elfu Moja)	142 x 71 mm	Red	Tanzanian coat of arms; Giraffe; African Elephant	Kiwira coal mine; Door of People's Bank of Zanzibar
[4]	1000 /= (Shilingi Elfu Moja)	142 x 71 mm	Red	Tanzanian coat of arms; Julius Nyerere; African Elephant	Kiwira coal mine; Door of People's Bank of Zanzibar	2000
[5]	5000 /= (Shillingi Elfu Tano)	145 x 73 mm	Purple	Tanzanian coat of arms; Giraffe; Rhino	Giraffes; Mt Kilimanjaro	1997
[6]	10,000 /= (Shilingi Elfu Kumi)	149 x 75 mm	Indigo	Tanzanian coat of arms; Giraffe; Lion	Bank of Tanzania; "House of Wonder" (Zanzibar)

2003 Series [7]
Image		Value	Dimensions	Main Colour	Description			Date of issue
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse	Watermark
		130 × 63 mm	Green	African Buffalo	Nkrumah Hall, University of Dar es Salaam	Giraffe	2003
		135 × 66 mm	Blue	Julius Nyerere	Statehouse, Dar es Salaam
		140 × 69 mm	Orange-brown	Lion, Mount Kilimanjaro	Old Fort, Stone Town, Zanzibar
		145 × 72 mm	Purple	Black Rhinoceros	Geita gold Mine and House of Wonders Zanzibar
		150 × 75 mm	Red	Elephant	Bank of Tanzania headquarters in Dar es Salaam

Currently in Circulation

2011 Series
Image		Values	Dimensions	Main Colour	Description		Date of issue	Date of first issue	Watermark
Obverse	Reverse				Obverse	Reverse
		120 x 60 mm	Green	Tanzanian coat of arms; Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume	University of Dar es Salaam central hall building; graduating students wearing caps and gowns; Aesculap's rod	2011	1 January 2010	Julius Kambarage Nyerere with electrotype 500
		125 x 65 mm	Blue	Tanzanian coat of arms; President Julius Kambarage Nyerere; Bismarck Rock in Mwanza Harbor	Coffee plant; State House (Ikulu) building with flag in Dar es Salaam			Julius Kambarage Nyerere with electrotype 1000
		130 x 66 mm	Orange	Tanzanian coat of arms; Lion	Palm trees; old Omani Arab Fort (Ngome Kongwe) in Zanzibar's Stone Town; carved block			Julius Kambarage Nyerere with electrotype 2000
		135 x 67 mm	Purple	Tanzanian coat of arms; plant; black rhinoceros	Cyanid Leaching plant of the gold mines of Geita			Julius Kambarage Nyerere with electrotype 5000
		140 x 68 mm	Red	Tanzanian coat of arms; Elephant	Flowers; Bank of Tanzania headquarters building in Dar es Salaam			Julius Kambarage Nyerere with electrotype 10000

See also

• Economy of Tanzania
• Ugandan shilling
• Kenyan shilling

References

Notes

Sources

External links

• Bank of Tanzania page on circulating banknotes
• The banknotes of Tanzania
• [8] (in English, German, and French)