Tanzanian shilling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tanzanian shilling
1,000/= note The Bank of Tanzania headquarters in Dar es Salaam
ISO 4217 Code	TZS
User(s)	Tanzania
Inflation	5.6%
Source	The World Factbook, 2015 est.
Subunit
1⁄100	cent
Coins	50/=, 100/=, 200/=, 500/=
Banknotes	500/=, 1,000/=, 2,000/=, 5,000/=, 10,000/=

The Tanzanian shilling (called shilingi in Swahili) is the official money used in Tanzania. Its special code is TZS. One shilling is made up of 100 smaller units called cents (or senti in Swahili).

The Tanzanian shilling started being used on June 14, 1966. It took the place of the East African shilling, with one Tanzanian shilling being worth the same as one East African shilling.

How to Write Shilling Amounts

When people write prices in Tanzanian shillings, they often use a special way: x/y. Here, 'x' is the amount in shillings, and 'y' is the amount in cents.

• If there are no cents, you can write "100/-" for 100 shillings.
• If there are no shillings, you write "-/50" for 50 cents.
• Sometimes, people add "TSh" before the number, like "TSh 100" or "TSh 500". This helps everyone know it's Tanzanian money.

Coins of Tanzania

200/= coin

Tanzania has used different coins over the years. The first coins were made in 1966. These included small amounts like 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents, and also 1 shilling. They were made from different metals like bronze and copper-nickel.

Over time, new coins were made from different materials, like nickel-plated steel. This happened in 1987. In 1993, a 100 shilling coin was introduced, and in 1998, a 200 shilling coin.

Current Coins You Can Use

Today, the coins you will see and use in Tanzania are:

• 50/=
• 100/=
• 200/=
• 500/=

The 500/= coin is the newest, first released on September 8, 2014.

Banknotes of Tanzania

A 1,000/= banknote

The Bank of Tanzania is in charge of printing and releasing banknotes. They first introduced notes in 1966 for 5, 10, 20, and 100 shillings. Over the years, some notes were replaced by coins, and new, higher value notes were created.

For example, the 5 shilling note was replaced by a coin in 1972. Later, notes for 50, 200, 500, and 1,000 shillings were introduced. In 1995, even higher value notes, 5,000 and 10,000 shillings, were added.

Newer Banknotes with Special Features

In 2011, a brand new series of banknotes was released. These notes have many special security features. These features help prevent people from making fake money.

Banknotes You Can Use Today

The banknotes that are currently used in Tanzania are:

• 500/=
• 1,000/=
• 2,000/=
• 5,000/=
• 10,000/=

2011 Series Banknotes
Image		Value	Size	Main Color	What's on It		First Issued
Front	Back				Front	Back
		500/=	120 x 60 mm	Green	Tanzanian coat of arms; Sheikh Abeid Amani Karume	University of Dar es Salaam building; students graduating	1 January 2010
		1,000/=	125 x 65 mm	Blue	Tanzanian coat of arms; President Julius Kambarage Nyerere; Bismarck Rock	Coffee plant; State House building in Dar es Salaam	1 January 2010
		2,000/=	130 x 66 mm	Orange	Tanzanian coat of arms; Lion	Palm trees; old Omani Arab Fort in Zanzibar	1 January 2010
		5,000/=	135 x 67 mm	Purple	Tanzanian coat of arms; black rhinoceros	Gold mine plant in Geita	1 January 2010
		10,000/=	140 x 68 mm	Red	Tanzanian coat of arms; Elephant	Flowers; Bank of Tanzania headquarters in Dar es Salaam	1 January 2010
These images are to scale at 0.7 pixel per millimetre. For table standards, see the banknote specification table.

Images for kids

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  An old 5 cent coin

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  An old 10 cent coin

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  Front of an old 20 cent coin

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  Back of an old 20 cent coin

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  Front of an old 50 cent coin

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  Back of an old 50 cent coin

• 

  Front of an old 1 shilling coin

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  Back of an old 1 shilling coin

• 

  An old 1 shilling coin

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  Front of an old 5 shilling coin

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  Back of an old 5 shilling coin

• 

  Front of an old 10 shilling coin

• 

  Back of an old 10 shilling coin

• 

  Front of a 50 shilling coin

• 

  Back of a 50 shilling coin

• 

  Front of a 100 shilling coin

• 

  Back of a 100 shilling coin

• 

  Front of a 200 shilling coin

• 

  Back of a 200 shilling coin

• 

  Front of a 500 shilling coin

• 

  Back of a 500 shilling coin

• 

  Front of an old 10 shilling banknote

• 

  Back of an old 10 shilling banknote

• 

  Front of an old 20 shilling banknote

• 

  Back of an old 20 shilling banknote

• 

  Front of an old 100 shilling banknote

• 

  Back of an old 100 shilling banknote

• 

  Front of a 500 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Back of a 500 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Front of a 1,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Back of a 1,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Front of a 2,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

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  Back of a 2,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

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  Front of a 5,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Back of a 5,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Front of a 10,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

• 

  Back of a 10,000 shilling banknote (2003 series)

Related Topics

• Economy of Tanzania
• Ugandan shilling
• Kenyan shilling