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Tanzanian Shilling – Symbol, Coins, Banknotes….

August 20, 2021

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Tanzanian Shilling – Insight About Symbol, Coins, Banknotes and History

Table of Contents

The currency used by the Republic of Tanzania is Shilingi, a Swahili word for Shilling. The sign of the Tanzanian Shilling TSh and its code is TZS. The Tanzania Shilling subdivided further into 100 senti (cents). It was instituted on 14 June 1966 to replace the East African Shilling at par.

Shiliingi ya Taifa la Tanzania (Swahili)

Tanzania Shilling

1000 Tanzania shillings note	The Central Bank of Tanzania headoffice (Dar es Salaam)
1000 Tanzania Shilling note	The Central Bank of Tanzania head office (Dar es Salaam)

Tanzanian Shilling Denominations

Symbol

Tsh

Subunit

1/100

Cent

Coins

500, 200,100, 50 shilling

Banknotes

10,000, 5000, 2000,1000 shilling

ISO 4217

Code

TZS

Demographics

User countries

Tanzania

Issuance

Website

Bank of Tanzania website

Central Bank

Bank of Tanzania

Valuation

Inflation

5.6 percent

Source

The World Factbook, 2015 est.

Tanzanian Shilling Symbol

Figures in TSh are denoted x/y, wherein x denotes the amount of money above 1 Tanzania Shilling, whereas y denotes the figure in cent. A hyphen or an equal sign stands for zero Tanzania Shillings. For instance, 50 cent is denoted as either “-/50” or as “=/50”, whereas 100 Tanzania shilling is denoted as “100/-“ or as “100/=”. However, TSh is commonly used for day to day references.

This pattern echoes the notation used by the British before decimalization was introduced when figures were written as a mixture of pounds (£), pence (d- denarius) and Tanzania Shilling(s). In this system, figures below a pound were denoted only in pence and shillings: sixpence was notated “-/6d” or “-/6”, two shillings as “2s/-“ or “2/-“, two shillings and six pence were written as “2/6d” or “2/6” and so on.

Coins

Coins were rolled out in 1966 in denominations of 50, 20, 5, cent as well as 1 shiling. The five cent coin was made of bronze, nickel-brass (an alloy of nickel-copper-zinc), was used for the 20 cent and cupro-nickel was used for both 1 Tanzanian shilling and 50 cent. Five Tanzanian Shilling coins struck Cupro-nickel and 10 cent struck in scalloped nickel-brass were later introduced in 1972 and 1977 respectively. Christopher Ironside OBE designed the first set of coin series which were in circulation between 1966 and 1984.

In 1987, cupro-nickel was replaced by nickel-coated steel in the 1 shilling as well as 50 cent, cupro-nickel was then used in the 10 and the decagonal shaped 5 Shilling coins which were being introduced. In 1990, 5, 10 Shilling and 20 Shilling made of nickel-clad-steel were introduced, accompanied by the introduction of 100 shilling made of brass-plated steel, as well as the introduction of the 50 shilling and the 200 copper-nickel-zinc coin in 1993 and 1998 respectively.

The coins that are presently in circulation include the 500, 200, 100 and 50 shillings. The 500-Tanzanian Shilling coin was introduced on September 8, 2014.

Tanzania 50 shilling coin back-v2

	Tanzanian Shilling Coins
Image		Value	Diameter	Composition	Thickness	Weight	Issued	Edge
5 Tanzania cent coin		5 cent	Dodecagonal 23.24 mm	bronze	1.33 mm	4.0 g	1966-1984	Smooth
Tanzania 10 cent coin		10 cent	Scalloped 25 mm	nickel-brass	1.49 mm	5.03 g	1977-1984	Smooth
		20 cent	24 mm	nickel-brass		5 g	1966-1984	Smooth
		50 cent	21 mm	copper-nickel	1.6 mm	4 g	1966-1984	Reeded
		50 cent	21 mm	nickel-plated steel	1.8 mm	4 g	1988-1990	Reeded
		1 shilling	27.7 mm	copper-nickel	1.62 mm	8 g	1966-1984	Reeded
Tanzania 1 shilling coin		1 shilling	23.5 mm	nickel-plated steel		6.5 g	1987-1992	Reeded
		5 shilling	Decagonal 31.5 mm	copper-nickel	2.2 mm	13.8 g	1972-1980	Reeded; five smooth and segmented parts
		5 shilling	Decagonal 27.5 mm	copper-nickel	2 mm	8.3 g	1987-1989	Reeded; five smooth and segmented parts
		5 shilling	Decagonal 27.5 mm	nickel-plated steel	2 mm	8.52 g	1990-1993	Reeded
		10 shilling	29 mm	copper-nickel	2 mm	9.7 g	1987-1989	Reeded
Tanzania 10 shilling coin Tanzania 10 shilling coin back		10 shilling	29 mm	nickel-plated steel	2.25 mm	10 g	1990-1993	Reeded
		20 shilling	Heptagonal 32 mm	nickel-plated steel	2 mm	13 g	1990-1992	Smooth
Tanzania 50 shilling coin Tanzania 50 shilling coin back		50 shilling	Heptagonal 22 mm	brass-plated steel	2.9 mm	7.91 g	1996	Smooth
Tanzania 100 shilling coin Tanzania 100 shilling coin back		100 shilling	24.5 mm	brass-plated steel	2.7 mm	9 g	1993	Reeded
Tanzania 200 shilling coin Tanzania 200 shilling coin back		200 shilling	26.8 mm	copper-nickel-zinc	2 mm	8 g	1998	Reeded; five smooth and segmented parts
Tanzania 500 shilling coin Tanzania 500 shilling coin back		500 shilling	27.5 mm	nickel-plated steel	2.4 mm	9.5 g	2014	Reeded

Banknotes

On June 14, 1996, Benki Kuu ya Tanzania (the Central Bank of Tanzania) issued noted for 100,20, 10,5 Tanzanian Shilling ( Also notated in Shillings). In 1972, the 5 shilling note was substituted with a coin. The other notes were issued as follows: 50 shilling in 1985, 200 in 1986, 500 in 1989 and 1000 in 1990. The shilling coins were substituted with notes as follows: 10 shilling in 1987, 20 shilling in 1990, 50 shilling in 1996 and 100 shilling in 1994. 10,000 and 5,000 shilling notes were issued in 1995, and the 2000 Tanzanian shilling was introduced in 2003. Another notes series was issued in 2011 which included several security features to combat counterfeiting.

The notes currently in circulation are 10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000 and 500 Tanzanian Shillings.

Older	Series
Image		Value	Main Colour	Dimensions	Description			Date issued
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Main Colour	Dimensions	Reverse	Obverse	Watermark	Date issued
Tanzania 10 shilling note	Tanzania 10 shilling note back	10/- (Ten Shillings)	Green	–	Arusha Declaration Monument	Julius Nyerere	Giraffe	–
Tanzania 20 shilling note	Tanzania 20 shilling note back	20/- (Twenty Shillings)	Blue-violet	–	General Tyre East Africa Plant	Julius Nyerere
Tanzania 100 shilling note	Tanzania 100 shilling note back	100/- (One Hundred Shillings)	Red	–	Maasai	Julius Nyerere

1966 Tanzania 1 Shilling Coin

1997 Series


Image	Value	Main Color	Dimensions	Description		Date of issue	Watermark
Image	Value	Main Color	Dimensions	Reverse	Obverse	Date of issue	Watermark
	500/- (Shilingi Mia Tano)	Green	138 x 69 mm	Uhuru Torch; Clove harvest	coat of arm of Tanzania; Zebra; Giraffe	1997	Giraffe
	1000/- (Shillingi Elfu Moja)	Red	142 x 71 mm	Entrance of People’s Bank of Zanzibar, Kiwira coal mine	Coat of arms of Tanzania; Africann Elephant; Giraffe	1997
	1000/- (Shilingi Elfu Moja)	Red	142 x 71 mm	Kiwira coal mine; Door of People’s Bank of Zanzibar	Coat of arms of Tanzania; African Elephant; Julius Nyerere	2000/-
	5000/- (Shillingi Elfu Tano)	Purple	145 x 73 mm	Mt Kilimanjaro; Giraffes	Tanzanian coat of arms; Rhino; Giraffe	1997
	10,000/- (Shilingi Elfu Kumi)	Indigo	149 x 75 mm	Bank of Tanzania; “House of Wonder” (Zanzibar)	Tanzanian coat of arms; Lion; Giraffe	1997

2003 Series
Image		Value	Main color	Dimensions	Description			Date of issue
Obverse	Reverse	Value	Main color	Dimensions	Reverse	Obverse	Watermark	Date of issue
Bank of Tanzania 500 shillings note	500 Tanzanian shillings note back	500/- (Shilingi Mia Tano)	Green	130 × 63 mm	Nkrumah Hall, University of Dar es Salaam	African Buffalo	Giraffe	2003
1000 Tanzanian shillings note	1000 Tanzanian shillings note back	1000/- (Shilingi Elfu Moja)	Blue	135 × 66 mm	Statehouse, Dar es Salaam	Julius Nyerere
2000 Tanzanian shillings note	2000 Tanzanian shillings note back	2000/- (Shillingi Elfu Mbili)	Orange-brown	140 × 69 mm	Old Fort, Stone Town, Zanzibar	Mount Kilimanjaro, Lion
5000 Tanzanian shillings note	5000 Tanzanian shillings note back	5000/- (Shillingi Elfu Tano)	Purple	145 × 72 mm	House of Wonders Zanzibar and Geita gold Mine	Black Rhinoceros
10 000 Tanzanian shillings note	10 000 Tanzanian shillings note back	10,000/- (Shillingi Elfu Kumi)	Red	150 × 75 mm	Headquarters of the Bank of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam	Elephant

Currently in Circulation

2011 Series
Image		Values	Main Colour	Dimensions (mm)	Description		Date of issue	Date of first issue	Watermark
Obverse	Reverse	Values	Main Colour	Dimensions (mm)	Reverse	Obverse	Date of issue	Date of first issue	Watermark
500 Tanzania Shillings Front	500 Tanzania Shillings Back	500/- (Shilingi Mia Tano)	Green	120 x 60	graduating students wearing gowns and caps; central hall of the University of Dar es Salaam;; Aesculap’s rod	Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume ; coat of arms of Tanzania	2011	January 1 2010	Electrotype 500 and Julius Kambarage Nyerere
1000 Tanzania Shilling Front	1000 Tanzania Shilling Back	1000/- (Shillingi Elfu Moja)	Blue	125 x 65	State House building (Ikulu) with flag of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam; Coffee plant;	President Julius Kambarage Nyerere; Tanzanian coat of arms; Bismarck Rock in Mwanza Harbor			Electrotype 1000 and Julius Kambarage Nyerere
2000 Tanzania Shilling Front	2000 Tanzania Shilling Back	2000/- (Shilingi Elfu Mbili)	Orange	130 x 66	Ngome Kongwe-Old Omani Arab Fort in Stone Town in Zanzibar; Palm trees; carved block	Lion; coat of arms			Electotype 2000 and Julius Kambarage Nyerere
5000 Tanzania Shilling Front	5000 Tanzania Shilling Back	5000/- (Shillingi Elfu Tano)	Purple	135 x 67	Cyanide Leaching plant of the gold mines of Geita	Plant; Tanzanian coat of arms; black rhinoceros			Electotype 5000 and Julius Nyerere
Tanzanian shilling 10 000 shilingi Front	Tanzanian shilling 10 000 shilingi Back	10,000/- (Shilingi Elfu Kumi)	Red	140 x 68	Headquaters of the Bank of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam; Flowers	Elephant; Tanzanian coat of arms; Elephant			Electrotype 10000 and Julius Nyerere

Other Important Information About the Currency

Where to Exchange Tanzanian Shilling

If in the country, there is a large number of banks, bureau de changes, and certified money exchange dealers that you can use to buy Tanzanian shilling.