Scilling

m. I. as a denomination of English money (uncoined), a shilling. The shilling appears to have been of different values in different parts of the country; in Wessex five pennies make a shilling: Fíf penegas gemacigaþ ǽune scillinge, Ælfc. Gr. 50; Som. 52, 8: and with this statement agree several passages of Henry I.?s Laws, e.g. c. 93, §§ 3, 19, where unus solidus=v denarii, duo solidi=x denarii. In Mercia four pennies go to the shilling. According to Mercian law (Th. i. 190) the ceorl?s wergild is 200s., the thane?s six times as much, 1200s., the king?s, which is six times the thane?s, is 120 pounds; so that 7200s.=120x240d., i.e. the shilling is four pennies. With this agrees L. W. i. 11; Th. i. 473, where it is said: Solidum Anglicum quatuor denarii constituunt. In the Norman time the shilling is twelve pennies. This reckoning seems to be taken in earlier times. II. as denoting foreign money the word is used to translate various words:--Scylling numisma, Wrt. Voc. i. 57, 30. Scilling obelus, ii. 63, 68: stater, Mt. Kmbl. Rush. 17, 27. Scylling (scilling, Lind., Rush.) dragmam, Lk. Skt. 15, 9. Nis woruldfeoh ðe ic mé ágan wille, sceat ne scilling, Cd. Th. 129, 13; Gen. 2143. Hundraþ scillinga centum denarios, Mt. Kmbl. Lind. 18, 18. Þriim peninga l scillinga, Jn. Skt. Lind. 12, 5. Þrítig scillinga triginta argenteos, Mt. Kmbl. 26, 15. Þúsend scyllinga on seolfre mille argenteos, Gen. 20, 16. Feówerhund scillinga (siclos), 23, 16. Hé hét heora ǽlcum fíftig scyllinga tó sceatte syllan, Homl. Th. i. 88, 4. [Goth. skilliggs: O. Frs. skilling: O. L. Ger., O. H. Ger. scilling solidus, aureus: Icel. skillingr.]