View source for Currency symbol

{{short description|Symbol used to represent a monetary currency's name}}
{{for-multi|the symbol representing a generic currency|Currency sign (generic)|three-letter currency codes|ISO 4217}}
{{more citations needed|date=November 2021}}
[[File:Reserve currencies symbols 4.svg|thumb|Symbols of the four most widely held [[Reserve currency|reserve currencies]] (dollar, euro, yen, pound)]]<!-- The symbols shown here represent the top four reserve currencies. The article has a comprehensive list of all symbols and letters used to represent currencies and there is no need to put them here as well.-->
{{SpecialChars
| image      = Gold Currency Symbols.svg
| special    = [[Unicode]] currency symbols
| fix        = Help:Special_characters
| characters = currency symbols
}}
A '''currency symbol''' or '''currency sign''' is a graphic symbol used to denote a [[currency]] unit. Usually it is defined by a monetary authority, such as the national [[central bank]] for the currency concerned.

A symbol may be positioned in various ways, according to national convention: before, between or after the numeric amounts: {{nowrap|{{char|€2.50}}}}, {{nowrap|{{char|2,50€}}}} and {{nowrap|{{char|{{cifrao|2|50}}}}}}.

Symbols are neither defined nor listed by international standard [[ISO 4217]], which only assigns three-letter codes.

==Usage==
When writing currency amounts, the location of the symbol varies by language. For currencies in English-speaking countries and in most of Latin America, the symbol is placed before the amount, as in {{nowrap|{{char|$20.50}}}}. In most other countries, including many in Europe, the symbol is placed after the amount, as in {{nowrap|{{char|20,50€}}}}. Exceptionally, the symbol for the [[Cape Verdean escudo]] (like the [[Portuguese escudo]], to which it was formerly [[currency peg|pegged]]) is placed in the [[decimal separator]] position, as in {{nowrap|{{char|{{cifrao|2|50}}}}}}.<ref name="BCV">{{cite web |language=pt |publisher= Banco de Cabo Verde. |url=http://www.bcv.cv/vPT/Notas%20e%20Moedas/Moedas/Paginas/Moedas.aspx  |url-status=dead |title=Moedas |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110122182747/http://www.bcv.cv/vPT/Notas%20e%20Moedas/Moedas/Paginas/Moedas.aspx |archive-date=January 22, 2011 |access-date=25 February 2011 |quote={{lang|pt|A mais recente emissão de moedas do BCV é a moeda comemorativa de 200$00 emitida em 2005}} }} [BCV's most recent coin issue is the 200$00 commemorative coin issued in 2005]</ref>

==Design==
[[File:Euro Construction.svg|thumb|right|Formal dimensions of the [[euro sign]] ]]
[[File:Moreeurofonts.svg|thumb|right|The euro sign as implemented in a selection of typefaces]]

Older currency symbols have evolved slowly, often from previous currencies. The modern [[dollar sign|dollar and peso symbols]] originated from the mark employed to denote the [[Spanish dollar]],<ref>{{cite journal |first=Lawrence |last=Kinnaird |date=July 1976 |jstor=967081 |title=The Western Fringe of Revolution |journal=The Western Historical Quarterly |volume=7 |issue=3 |page=259|doi=10.2307/967081 }}</ref> whereas the [[pound sign|pound and lira symbols]] [[Pound sign#Origin|evolved]] from the letter [[L]] (written until the seventeenth century in [[blackletter]] type as <math>\mathfrak{L}</math>) standing for {{lang|la|[[libra (weight)|libra]]}}, a [[Roman pound]] of silver.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/Default.aspx?PageID=14314417 | title=The Origins of £sd | publisher=The Royal Mint Museum |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200308111135/http://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/Default.aspx?PageID=14314417 |archive-date= 8 March 2020}}</ref>

Newly invented currencies and currencies adopting new symbols have symbolism meaningful to their adopter. For example, the euro sign <big>{{char|€}}</big> is based on {{big|{{char|ϵ}}}}, an archaic form of the Greek [[epsilon]], to represent Europe;<ref name="ec.europa.eu">{{cite web |url=https://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/cash/symbol/index_en.htm |title=European Commission – Economic and Financial Affairs – How to use the euro name and symbol |publisher=Ec.europa.eu |access-date=7 April 2010 |archive-date=29 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529042108/http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/euro/cash/symbol/index_en.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Indian rupee sign]] {{char|₹}} is a blend of the [[Latin alphabet|Latin letter]] '[[R]]' with the [[Devanagari]] letter {{char|र}} ([[Ra (Indic)|ra]]);<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.idc.iitb.ac.in/events/Indian_Rupee_Symbol.pdf |title=Currency Symbol for Indian Rupee |website=Idc.iitb.ac.in |access-date=14 November 2018 |archive-date=21 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821132944/http://www.idc.iitb.ac.in/events/Indian_Rupee_Symbol.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and the Russian [[Ruble sign]] <big>{{char|₽}}</big><!-- Please leave this (big) markup because the alternative mono template uses a font on Android mobiles that that does not have this glyph --> is based on {{char|Р}} (the [[Cyrillic]] capital letter [[Er (Cyrillic)|'er']]).<ref name="Business Insider">{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/russia-introduces-new-currency-symbol-2013-12|title=Currency Geeks Rejoice, Russia Has A New Symbol For The Rouble|publisher=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=2021-05-31|archive-date=2021-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101053448/https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-introduces-new-currency-symbol-2013-12|url-status=live}}</ref>

There are other considerations, such as how the symbol is rendered on computers and typesetting. For a new symbol to be used, its [[glyph]]s needs to be added to [[computer font]]s and [[keyboard mapping]]s already in widespread use, and [[keyboard layout]]s need to be altered or shortcuts added to type the new symbol. For example, the [[European Commission]] was criticized for not considering how the [[euro sign]] would need to be customized to work in different fonts.<ref name="Rupee symbol">Westcott, K. (2009) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7923825.stm India seeks rupee status symbol] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621152053/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7923825.stm |date=2017-06-21 }}, [[BBC]] 10 March 2009, accessed 1 September 2009</ref> The original design was also exceptionally wide. These two factors have led to most [[type foundry|type foundries]] designing customized versions that match the 'look and feel' of the font to which it is to be added, often with reduced width.

==List of currency symbols currently in use==
{{List of currency symbols}}

=== Rupee symbols by language <span class="anchor" id="Other rupee symbols"></span>===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Rupee sign in other languages (scripts)
! Language !! Sign in Unicode !! Currency
|-
|[[Telugu language|Telugu]]
|<code>U+0C30 <big>రూ</big> రూపాయి</code>
|[[Indian rupee]]
|-
| [[Tamil language|Tamil]] || {{unichar|0BF9|TAMIL RUPEE SIGN|html=}} || Indian rupee / [[Sri Lankan rupee]]
|-
| [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] || {{unichar|0AF1|GUJARATI RUPEE SIGN|html=}} ||Indian rupee
|-
| [[Kannada language|Kannada]] || {{unichar|0CB0|KANNADA LETTER RA|html=}} ||Indian rupee
|-
| [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]] || රු ({{unichar|0DBB|SINHALA LETTER RAYANNA|html=}}) + ({{unichar|0DD4|SINHALA VOWEL SIGN KETTI PAA-PILLA|html=}}) || [[Sri Lankan rupee]]
|-
| [[Northern Indo-Aryan languages|North Indic]]|| {{unichar|A838|NORTH INDIC RUPEE MARK|html=}} ||Indian rupee
|-
| [[Wancho language|Wancho]]|| {{unichar|1E2FF|WANCHO NGUN SIGN|html=}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2017/17067r2-n4787r2-wancho.pdf|title=N4787R2: Proposal to encode the Wancho script|date=2017-10-22|first=Michael|last=Everson|author-link=Michael Everson|access-date=2019-03-07|archive-date=2019-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614113651/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2017/17067r2-n4787r2-wancho.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>||Indian rupee
|}

==List of historical currency symbols <span class="anchor" id="List of historic currency symbols"></span>==
Some of these symbols may not display correctly.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Symbol !! Uses 
|-
| ₳ || [[Argentine austral]] (1985–1991)
|-
| Cz$|| [[Brazilian cruzado]] (1986–1989)
|-
| ₢$ || [[Brazilian cruzeiro (1942–1967)]]
|-
| Cr$ || [[Brazilian cruzeiro (1967–1986)|Brazilian cruzeiro (1970–1986)]]<br />[[Brazilian cruzeiro (1990–1993)]]
|-
| CR$ || [[Brazilian cruzeiro real]] (1993–1994) 
|-
| NCz$ || [[Brazilian cruzado novo]] (1989–1990) 
|-
| NCr$ || [[Brazilian cruzeiro novo]] (1967–1970) 
|-
| Rs$ || [[Brazilian real (old)|Brazilian real]] (1747–1942)
|-
| ₰ ||[[Pfennig]], a subdivision of the German [[German mark (1871)|Mark]] (1875–1923) and the German [[Reichsmark]] (1923–1948)
|-
| M ||East German [[Mark der DDR|Deutsche Mark (east)]] (1948–1964)
|-
| DM ||West German and united German [[Deutsche Mark|Deutsche Mark (west)]] (1948–2001)
|-
| ₻ || Nordic mark symbol used by [[Ludvig Holberg]] in Denmark and Norway in the 17th and 18th centuries<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12242-mark-sign.pdf|title=L2/12-242: Proposal for one historic currency character, MARK SIGN|date=2012-07-24|first1=Nina Marie|last1=Evensen|first2=Deborah|last2=Anderson|access-date=2018-03-24|archive-date=2017-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706091255/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12242-mark-sign.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| ₯|| [[Modern drachma|Greek drachma]]
|-
| ₠ ||[[European Currency Unit|ECU]] (1979–1998, not widely used and now historical; replaced by the [[euro]])
|-
| Eº || [[Chilean escudo]] (1960–1975)
|-
| ''ƒ'' ||[[Dutch gulden]], currently used in the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba
|-
| Fr|| [[Franc]], used in [[France]] and other countries; in France an F with double bar (₣) was proposed in 1988 but never adopted
|-
| Kčs ||[[Czechoslovak koruna]] (1919–1993)
|-
| Kn ||[[Croatian kuna]] (1994–2023)
|-
| ₤ || [[Italian lira]] (1861–2002)
|-
| Lm|| [[Maltese lira]]
|-
| Lp|| Lipa, a subdivision of the [[Croatian kuna]] (1994–2023)
|-
| Ls|| [[Latvian lats]] (1922–2013, not continuously)
|-
| Lt ||[[Lithuanian litas]] (1922–2014, not continuously)
|-
| M|| East German [[Mark der DDR]] (1968–1990)
|-
| ℳ&#xfe01; ||German [[German gold mark|Mark]] (1875–1923)
|-
| MDN|| East German [[Mark der DDR|Mark der Deutschen Notenbank]] (1964–1968)
|-
| mk ||[[Finnish markka]] (1860–2002)
|-
| o$s || [[Argentine peso#Gold and silver pesos, 1881–1970|Argentine peso oro sellado]] (1881–1970)
|-
| PF|| [[Philippine peso fuerte]] (1852–1901)
|-
| ₡ || [[Salvadoran colón]] (1892&ndash;2001)<!-- Salvadoran colón was discontinued in 2001 and replaced by the [[US dollar]]. -->
|-
| ₧|| [[Spanish peseta]] (1869–2002)
|-
| R or RD ||[[Swedish riksdaler]] (1777–1873)
|-
| ℛ&#xfe01;ℳ&#xfe01; ||[[Reichsmark]] (1923–1948)
|-
| [[File:Double-barred dollar sign.svg|14px]]|| [[Portuguese escudo]] (''[[cifrão]]'')
|-
| Sk|| [[Slovak koruna]] (1993–2008)
|-
| ₷|| [[Spesmilo]] (1907{{snd}} First World War) in the Esperanto movement
|-
| ₶|| [[Livre tournois]] (13th century{{snd}}1795)
|-
| 𐆚 || [[As (Roman coin)|As]] coin used during the [[Roman Empire]] and [[Roman Republic]]
|-
| 𐆖 || [[Denarius]] coin used in Ancient Rome from 211 BC to the 3rd century AD
|-
| 𐆙 || [[Dupondius]] coin used during the [[Roman Empire]] and [[Roman Republic]]
|-
| 𐆗 || [[Quinarius]] coin used in Ancient Rome from 211 BC to the 3rd century AD
|-
| 𐆘 || [[Sestertius]] coin used in Ancient Rome from 211 BC to the 3rd century AD
|-
|I/.
|[[Peruvian inti]] (1985-1991)
|-
| ৲ || [[Bangladesh|Bengali]] [[rupee]] mark<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0980.pdf|title=Bengali Code Chart, Range: 0980–09FF|work=The Unicode Standard|access-date=2017-07-15|archive-date=2017-07-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721132019/http://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0980.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="L207192">{{Cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07192r-bengali-ganda.pdf|title=L2/07-192: Proposal to Encode the Ganda Currency Mark for Bengali in the BMP of the UCS|date=2007-05-21|first=Anshuman|last=Pandey|access-date=2018-03-24|archive-date=2019-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190614235104/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2007/07192r-bengali-ganda.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| ৹ || [[Bengali language|Bengali]] ānā, historically used to represent 1/16 of a [[taka]] or [[rupee]]<ref name="L207192"/>
|-
| ৻ || [[Bengali language|Bengali]] gaṇḍā, historically used to represent 1/20 of an ānā (1/320 of a [[taka]] or [[rupee]])<ref name="L207192"/>
|-
| ߾ || Dorome sign using the [[N'Ko alphabet]]<ref name="L215338">{{cite web|title=L2/15-338: Proposal to encode four N'Ko characters in the BMP of the UCS|url=https://www.unicode.org/wg2/docs/n4706-nko-additions.pdf|first=Michael|last=Everson|date=2015-12-19|access-date=2018-06-09|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306044714/https://unicode.org/wg2/docs/n4706-nko-additions.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| ߿ || Taman sign using the N'Ko alphabet<ref name="L215338"/>
|-
| 𞲰 || Indic Siyaq rupee mark<ref>{{cite web|title=L2/15-121R2: Proposal to Encode Indic Siyaq Numbers|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15121r2-indic-siyaq.pdf|date=2015-11-05|first=Anshuman|last=Pandey|access-date=2018-06-09|archive-date=2018-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713023347/http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15121r2-indic-siyaq.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
|}
The Unicode [[CJK Compatibility]] block contains several square versions of the names of currencies in Japanese [[katakana]].
They are intended for compatibility with earlier character sets.

==See also==
{{Portal|Money}}
* [[List of currencies]]
* [[List of circulating currencies]]
* [[Currency Symbols (Unicode block)]]
* [[International currency symbol]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Currency symbols}}

[[Category:Currency symbols| ]]