1 Shilling Plated steel

Kenya's shift to nickel-plated steel for the shilling in the early 1990s was a direct response to the rising cost of the cupronickel blanks used in earlier issues — a common squeeze felt across sub-Saharan mints as base metal prices climbed and foreign exchange reserves tightened. The Central Bank made the transition quietly, with no public announcement, leaving the two compositions circulating alongside each other for years.