2 Shillings - George VI

The wartime shift to .500 fine silver — down from the .925 standard used before 1937 — was a direct consequence of sterling silver shortages across the British Empire during the Second World War. Southern Rhodesia, like most Crown dependencies and dominions, followed British Treasury directives on coinage composition rather than making independent monetary decisions. The reduction was never reversed for this denomination.

KM#19a distinguishes this debased alloy type from the earlier KM#19, a separation that matters more than it might appear — the two types are visually indistinguishable in worn grades.