The 1941 shilling saw the final months of the Blitz: the bombing of British cities that began in September 1940 continued until May 1941. Despite the war, the coin was still struck in .500 silver.

The mintage of the English shilling in 1941 was more than 11 million, slightly higher than in 1940. On the reverse a crowned lion stands on a crown, the crest of the English version of the Royal Arms; its designer, George Kruger Gray, signed it with his initials KG.

The uncrowned portrait of George VI is by Thomas Humphrey Paget. The inscription FID DEF IND IMP, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, became a marker of its time: after Indian independence in 1947 the king ceased to be Emperor of India, and from 1949 shillings appeared without those words.

Silver remained in the shilling until the end of 1946, and from 1947 cupro-nickel replaced it. After decimalisation in 1971, shillings circulated as five pence.

The F-VF grade means a circulated coin: wear ranges from even, pronounced wear (F) to noticeable wear on the high points of the relief (VF), while the lion, the crown, the portrait and the lettering remain legible.

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