| Local Name: | شلن صوماليلاندي |
| Local Name Lang: | ar |
| Local Name2: | Shilin Somaliland |
| Local Name Lang2: | so |
| Iso Code: | None |
| Image 1: | Somaliland Shillings.jpg |
| Image Title 1: | 500/-, 1,000/- and 5,000/- banknotes |
| Image 2: | 1 Somaliland Shilling Coins Obverse 1994.jpg |
| Image Title 2: | 1/- coin |
| Symbol: | Sl.Sh. SLSH, /- |
| Pegged With: | U.S. dollar = ~ 8,000/- |
| Rarely Used Banknotes: | 5/-, 10/-, 20/-, 50/-, |
| Rarely Used Coins: | 1/-, 5/-, 10/-, 20/- |
| Coin Article: | Coins of the Somaliland shilling |
| Frequently Used Banknotes: | 100/-, 500/-, 1,000/-, 5,000/-[1] |
| Banknote Article: | Banknotes of the Somaliland shilling |
| Issuing Authority: | Bank of Somaliland (Baanka Somaliland) |
| Issuing Authority Website: | https://cb.govsomaliland.org/ |
The Somaliland shilling (Somali: Shillin Somaliland, Arabic: شلن صوماليلاندي; abbreviation: Sl.Sh. or SLSH; symbol: /-) is the official currency of the Republic of Somaliland, an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, recognised internationally as de jure part of Somalia.[2] [3] [4]
See main article: Rupee, East African shilling and British Somaliland.
The shilling has been the currency of parts of Somalia since 1921, when the East African shilling was introduced to the former British Somaliland protectorate. Following the 1960 independence and unification of the former territories of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland, their respective currencies, the East African shilling and somalo (which were equal in value) were replaced at par in 1962 by the Somali shilling. Names used for its denominations were cent (singular: centesimo; plural: centesimi) and سنت (plural: سنتيمات), along with shilling (singular: scellino; plural: scellini) and شلن.
In September 1994, the Parliament of Somaliland endorsed President Egal's plans to introduce a new currency to replace the Somali shilling.[5] The Somaliland shilling was introduced on 18 October 1994 at a rate of Sl.So. 1/- to So.Sh. 100/-. The Somali shilling ceased to be accepted as legal tender in Somaliland on 31 January 1995.[6]
The Somaliland shilling is pegged to the United States dollar at a rate of Sl.Sh. 580/12 to US$1. Only the 100/-, 500/-, 1,000/- and 5,000/- banknotes are currently in circulation.
The Somaliland shilling is nominally divided into 100 cents, but coins denominated in cents have never been issued due to their low value. The coin with the lowest value to have been issued is the 1/- coin, first minted in 1994 at the Pobjoy Mint in England and thus bearing the PM mint mark. In 2002, 2/- and 5/- coins were issued, bearing depictions of explorer Sir Richard Burton and a cockerel, respectively. Other coins that have been issued are the 10/- coin (depicting a vervet monkey) and 20/- coin (depicting an Italian Greyhound). Somaliland coins are not currently being minted or circulated.
The 1/- and 5/- coins are struck in aluminium, the 10/- coin in brass, the 20/- coin in stainless steel, and the 1,000/- coin in .999 fine silver.
The specifications of the first coin are as follows:
The obverse of the coin has the words "RICHARD F. BURTON EXPLORATION OF SOMALILAND" inscribed around Burton's portrait. The dates "1841 1904" are to the left of the portrait, and "2002" is to the right. "BAANKA SOMALILAND" and "FIVE SOMALILAND SHILLINGS" are inscribed on the reverse around the "5/-" in the centre.
The specifications of the second coin are as follows:
The obverse of this coin has the words "REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND 2002" inscribed on it and depicts a cockerel. As with the other 5/- coin, the dates "1841 1904" are to the left of the portrait, and "2002" is to the right. 'BAANKA SOMALILAND' and 'FIVE SOMALILAND SHILLINGS' are also inscribed on the reverse around the "5/-" in the centre.
| colspan="6"] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obverse | Reverse | Value | Obverse | Reverse | Date of issue |
| 1/- | The obverse depicts a Somali pigeon (Columba oliviae) | "BAANKA SOMALILAND" and "ONE SOMALILAND SHILLING" appear above and below the "1/-" in the centre | 1994 | ||
| 5/- | There were two coins of this denomination, both issued in 2002. The first coin obverse has a portrait of Sir Richard Francis Burton, while the second depicts a rooster. | "BAANKA SOMALILAND" and "FIVE SOMALILAND SHILLINGS" appear above and below the "5/-" in the centre | 2002 | ||
| 10/- | The obverse depicts a vervet monkey | "BAANKA SOMALILAND" and "TEN SOMALILAND SHILLINGS" appear above and below the "10/-" in the centre | 2002 | ||
| 20/- | The obverse depicts an Italian Greyhound | "BAANKA SOMALILAND" and "TWENTY SOMALILAND SHILLINGS" appear above and below the "20/-" in the centre | 2002 | ||
Banknotes were issued in denominations of 5/-, 10/-, 20/-, 50/-, 100/-, 500/-, 1,000/- and 5,000/-; dates of issue range from 1994 to 2011.[10] Currently, only the 100/-, 500/-, 1,000/- and 5,000/- notes are in circulation.
| 1996-2011 notes https://colnect.com/en/banknotes/series/country/251-Somaliland | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obverse | Reverse | Value | Main Colour | Obverse | Reverse | Date(s) of issue | |
| 5/- | Green | Camel caravan in front of Naasa Hablood Hills near Hargeisa | Goodirka Building (Former House of Representatives, later Supreme Court) in Hargeisa, and a kudu to the right | 1994 | |||
| 10/- | Purple | 1994, 1996 | |||||
| 20/- | Brown | ||||||
| 50/- | Blue | 1996, 1999 | |||||
| 100/- | Khaki | Berbera dockside with Somali sheep and goats | Bank of Somaliland in Hargeisa | 1994, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011 | |||
| 500/- | Blue | ||||||
| 1,000/- | Red | 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 | |||||
| 5,000/- | Green | Three camels and three goats foraging | 2011, 2012, 2015 | ||||
In 1996 and 1999, regular 50/- notes were reissued in a larger size (130 × 58 or 130 × 57 mm by difference sources).
The central bank provides exchange services for various currencies at the official government rate, but most people prefer the unofficial rates used by hawala agents and money changers on the streets of main cities.