King's shilling

The King's shilling (or the Queen's shilling if the monarch is female) was the name given to a shilling that was given to soldiers who joined the British Army and the Royal Navy as a reward for enlisting. The word is often used when talking about the 17th and 18th centuries, but the word has been used since the English Civil War and is still used today.
Someone who said they would join the army was given the coin, but could give it back before they made a promise to a judge. Once the promise was made, they were given more money. The amount of money they were given changed over the years. In 1812, a new soldier was given £23, 17 shillings and six pence. This money was a lot, which persuaded many people to join the army, but the money was spent very quickly on uniform. Because this money was a lot, some people joined and deserted lots of times to get the money each time. One man was hanged in 1787 for doing this 47 times.