Navigating the world of international finance and even everyday shopping requires understanding currency symbols. From the familiar dollar sign ($) to the less common symbols, these characters are essential for quickly identifying currencies across the globe. Whether you’re traveling abroad, managing international business, or simply curious about global finance, knowing your currency symbols is key. This guide will walk you through the most important currency symbols, including a closer look at the Euro Money Symbol (€), and how to use them effectively in your digital documents.
Understanding Currency Symbols and Their Importance
Currency symbols are graphic representations used as shorthand for currency names. They offer a convenient and universally recognized way to denote monetary values, replacing the need to write out full currency names. For instance, instead of writing “40 US dollars,” we can simply write “$40.” This standardization makes it easier to read price tags, understand financial documents, and process international transactions. While largely standardized, slight variations can exist, such as the US dollar symbol sometimes appearing with two vertical lines ($) instead of one ($), without altering its meaning.
Recognizing currency symbols is particularly useful when you travel internationally. You’ll encounter them on menus, price tags in stores, and exchange rate boards. Knowing how to type these symbols is also practical, especially since many aren’t readily available on standard keyboards.
Placement of Currency Symbols: Before or After the Amount?
The placement of a currency symbol relative to the numerical amount varies depending on the currency and regional conventions. In English-speaking countries and in South America, it’s common practice to place the currency symbol before the amount. For example, in the United States, you would write $100.
However, in many European countries, including those using the euro money symbol, the symbol is often placed after the amount. Therefore, in France or Germany, you might see 50€ to represent 50 euros.
In some regions, you might even find the currency symbol used in a position where you would expect a decimal separator, like 20$00. These variations highlight the importance of being aware of local customs when dealing with currency symbols internationally.
A World Tour of Currency Symbols: Regional Breakdown
To provide a comprehensive overview, let’s explore currency symbols categorized by region. This will help you quickly identify the symbols you are most likely to encounter in different parts of the world, including a focus on the euro money symbol within Europe.
European Currency Symbols
Europe boasts a diverse range of currencies, many with unique symbols. The euro money symbol (€) is arguably the most recognizable in the region, representing the currency of the Eurozone, which includes many countries within the European Union.
| Currency Symbol | Currency | Country | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| € | Euro | Euro area countries, Cyprus | EUR |
| L | Albanian lek | Albania | ALL |
| Br | Belarusian ruble | Belarus | BYN |
| KM | Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark | Bosnia and Herzegovina | BAM |
| лв | Bulgarian lev | Bulgaria | BGN |
| kn | Croatian kuna | Croatia | HRK |
| Kč | Czech koruna | Czechia | CZK |
| kr | Danish krone | Denmark, Greenland | DKK |
| ₾ | Georgian lari | Georgia | GEL |
| ft | Hungarian forint | Hungary | HUF |
| kr, Íkr | Icelandic króna | Iceland | ISK |
| CHF | Swiss franc | Liechtenstein, Switzerland | CHF |
| L | Moldovan leu | Moldova | MDL |
| ден | Macedonian denar | North Macedonia | MKD |
| kr | Norwegian krone | Norway | NOK |
| zł | Polish zloty | Poland | PLN |
| lei | Romanian leu | Romania | RON |
| ₽ | Russian ruble | Russia | RUB |
| RSD | Serbian dinar | Serbia | RSD |
| kr | Swedish krona | Sweden | SEK |
| ₺ | Turkish lira | Turkey | TRY |
| ₴ | Ukrainian hryvna | Ukraine | UAH |
| £ | Pounds sterling | United Kingdom | GBP |
Currency Symbols in the Americas
The Americas are dominated by the dollar sign ($), but this symbol represents various currencies, including the United States Dollar (USD), Canadian Dollar (CAD), and several others across Central and South America.
| Currency Symbol | Currency | Country | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| $ | United States Dollar | US Dollar countries, Zimbabwe | USD |
| $ | East Caribbean dollar | OECS countries | XCD |
| ƒ | Aruban florin | Aruba | AWG |
| $ | Argentine peso | Argentina | ARS |
| B$ | Bahamian dollar | The Bahamas | BSD |
| $ | Barbadian dollar | Barbados | BBD |
| $ | Bermudian dollar | Bermuda | BMD |
| BZ$ | Belize dollar | Belize | BZD |
| Bs | Bolivian boliviano | Bolivia | BOB |
| R$ | Brazilian real | Brazil | BRL |
| CA$ | Canadian dollar | Canada | CAD |
| CI$ | Cayman Islands dollar | Cayman Islands | KYD |
| $ | Chilean peso | Chile | CLP |
| $ | Colombian peso | Colombia | COP |
| ₡ | Costa Rican colón | Costa Rica | CRC |
| CUC$ | Cuban convertible peso | Cuba | CUC |
| ƒ | Netherlands Antillean guilder | Curaçao | ANG |
| RD$ | Dominican peso | Dominican Republic | DOP |
| FK£ | Falkland Islands pound | Falkland Islands | FKP |
| Q | Guatemalan quetzal | Guatemala | GTQ |
| G$ | Guyanese dollar | Guyana | GYD |
| G | Haitian gourde | Haiti | HTG |
| L | Honduran lempira | Honduras | HNL |
| J$ | Jamaican dollar | Jamaica | JMD |
| $ | Mexican peso | Mexico | MXN |
| C$ | Nicaraguan córdoba | Nicaragua | NIO |
| B/. | Panamanian balboa | Panama | PAB |
| ₲ | Paraguayan guaraní | Paraguay | PYG |
| S/. | Peruvian sol | Peru | PEN |
| ƒ | Netherlands Antillean guilder | Sint Maarten | ANG |
| Sr$ | Surinamese dollar | Suriname | SRD |
| TT$ | Trinidad and Tobago dollar | Trinidad and Tobago | TTD |
| $U | Uruguayan peso | Uruguay | UYU |
| Bs. | Venezuelan bolívar | Venezuela | VED |
Middle Eastern Currency Symbols
The Middle East region features a mix of currency symbols, some using Latin characters and others employing Arabic script. Notably, the euro money symbol (€) is also used in Cyprus.
| Currency Symbol | Currency | Country | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| ؋ | Afghan afghani | Afghanistan | AFN |
| ֏, դր | Armenian dram | Armenia | AMD |
| ₼ | Azerbaijani manat | Azerbaijan | AZN |
| .د.ب | Bahraini dinar | Bahrain | BHD |
| € | Euro | Cyprus | EUR |
| ლარი | Lari | Georgia | GEL |
| ع.د | Iraqi dinar | Iraq | IQD |
| ﷼ | Iranian rial | Iran | IRR |
| ₪ | Israeli new shekel | Israel, Palestine | ILS |
| ينار | Jordanian dinar | Jordan | JOD |
| ك | Kuwaiti dinar | Kuwait | KWD |
| ل.ل | Lebanese pound | Lebanon | LBP |
| £S | Syrian pound | Syria | SYP |
| AED | Emirati dirham | United Arab Emirates (UAE) | AED |
| ر.ع | Omani rial | Oman | OMR |
| ر.ق | Qatari riyal | Qatar | QAR |
| SR | Saudi riyal | Saudi Arabia | SAR |
| ﷼ | Yemeni rial | Yemen | YER |
African Currency Symbols
Africa’s currency landscape is diverse, with symbols ranging from abbreviations to unique characters.
| Currency Symbol | Currency | Country | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| FCFA | CFA franc | West Africa | XAF |
| CFA | CFA franc | Central Africa | XOF |
| دج | Algerian dinar | Algeria | DZD |
| Kz | Angolan kwanza | Angola | AOA |
| P | Botswana pula | Botswana | BWP |
| FBu | Burundian franc | Burundi | BIF |
| CVE | Cape Verdean escudo | Cabo Verde | CVE |
| CF | Comorian franc | Comoros | KMF |
| FC | Congolese franc | Democratic Republic of the Congo | CDF |
| Fdj | Djiboutian franc | Djibouti | DJF |
| E£ | Egyptian pound | Egypt | EGP |
| Nkf | Eritrean nakfa | Eritrea | ERN |
| Br | Ethiopian birr | Ethiopia | ETB |
| L | Lilangeni | Eswatini | SZL |
| D | Dalasi | Gambia | GMD |
| GH₵ | Ghanaian cedi | Ghana | GHS |
| FG | Guinean franc | Guinea | GNF |
| KSh | Kenyan shilling | Kenya | KES |
| L | Lesotho loti | Lesotho | LSL |
| LD$ | Liberian dollar | Liberia | LRD |
| LD | Libyan dinar | Libya | LYD |
| Ar | Malagasy ariary | Madagascar | MGA |
| K | Malawian kwacha | Malawi | MWK |
| ₨ | Mauritian rupee | Mauritius | MUR |
| UM | Ouguiya | Mauritania | MRU |
| DH | Moroccan dirham | Morocco | MAD |
| MT | Mozambican metical | Mozambique | MZN |
| N$ | Namibian dollar | Namibia | NAD |
| ₦ | Nigerian naira | Nigeria | NGN |
| R₣ | Rwandan franc | Rwanda | RWF |
| Db | São Tomé and Príncipe dobra | Sao Tome and Principe | STN |
| SR | Seychellois rupee | Seychelles | SCR |
| Le | Sierra Leonean leone | Sierra Leone | SLL |
| Sh.So. | Somali shilling | Somalia | SOS |
| R | South african rand | South Africa | ZAR |
| SS£ | South Sudanese pound | South Sudan | SSP |
| SDG | Sudanese pound | Sudan | SDG |
| TSh | Tanzanian shilling | Tanzania | TZS |
| د.ت | Tunisian dinar | Tunisia | TND |
| USh | Ugandan shilling | Uganda | UGX |
| $ | United States Dollar | Zimbabwe | USD |
Asian & Pacific Currency Symbols
Asia and the Pacific region present a wide array of currency symbols, reflecting the diverse economies and cultures.
| Currency Symbol | Currency | Country | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| A$ | Australian dollar | Australia | AUD |
| ৳ | Bangladeshi taka | Bangladesh | BDT |
| Nu | Bhutanese ngultrum | Bhutan | BTN |
| B$ | Brunei dollar | Brunei | BND |
| ៛ | Cambodian riel | Cambodia | KHR |
| ¥ /元 | Chinese yuan | China | CNY |
| $ / HK$ / “元” | Hong Kong dollar | Hong Kong | HKD |
| Rp | Indonesian rupiah | Indonesia | IDR |
| ₹ | Indian rupee | India | INR |
| ¥ | Japanese yen | Japan | JPY |
| ₸ | Kazakhstani tenge | Kazakhstan | KZT |
| som | Kyrgyzstani som | Kyrgyzstan | KGS |
| ₭ | Lao kip | Laos | LAK |
| MOP$ | Macanese pataca | Macau | MOP |
| RM | Malaysian ringgit | Malaysia | MYR |
| MRf | Maldivian rufiyaa | Maldives | MVR |
| ₮ | Mongolian tögrög | Mongolia | MNT |
| K | Kyat | Myanmar | MMK |
| Rs | Nepalese rupee | Nepal | NPR |
| $ | New Zealand dollar | New Zealand | NZD |
| ₩ | North Korean won | North Korea | KPW |
| Rs | Pakistani rupee | Pakistan | PKR |
| ₱ | Philippine peso | Philippines | PHP |
| S$ | Singapore dollar | Singapore | SGD |
| ₩ | South Korean won | South Korea | KRW |
| Rs | Sri Lankan rupee | Sri Lanka | LKR |
| NT$ | New Taiwan dollar | Taiwan | TWD |
| TJS | Somoni | Tajikistan | TJS |
| US$ | US Dollar | Timor-Leste | USD |
| ฿ | Thai baht | Thailand | THB |
| m | Turkmen new manat | Turkmenistan | TMT |
| som | Uzbekistan som | Uzbekistan | UZS |
| ₫ | Vietnamese đồng | Vietnam | VND |
Cryptocurrency Symbols
Cryptocurrencies are increasingly relevant in the financial world. Most, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin, use existing or newly created symbols to represent their currency.
| Currency Symbol | Currency | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|
| ₿ | Bitcoin | BTC or XBT |
| Ξ | Ethereum | ETH |
| Ł | Litecoin | LTC |
| ɱ | Monero | XMR |
| XRP | Ripples | XRP |
| ₮ | Tether | USDT |
Keyboard Shortcuts for Common Currency Symbols
Typing currency symbols can be easier than you think. Here are some common keyboard shortcuts for frequently used symbols, including the euro money symbol.
| Currency Symbol | Mac Keyboard Shortcut | Windows Keyboard Shortcut | Currency | Currency Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| € | Shift+Option+2 | Alt+E | Euro | EUR |
| £ | Option+3 | Alt+L | Pounds sterling | GBP |
| $ | Shift+4 | Shift+4 | US dollar | USD |
| ¥ | Option+Y | N/A (Japanese IME) | Japanese yen | JPY |
Inserting Currency Symbols in MS Word and Excel
For documents and spreadsheets, inserting currency symbols is straightforward in Microsoft Office applications.
In MS Word:
- Open your document.
- Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols.
- In the Symbol window, select Currency Symbols from the ‘Subset’ dropdown.
- Choose your desired symbol (like the euro money symbol €) and click Insert.
Symbols-on-MS-Word-Mac-version
In MS Excel:
You can insert symbols using the same method as Word, or format cells for currency:
Method 1: Insert Symbol (Same as Word)
Follow the MS Word steps above.
Method 2: Format Cells for Currency
- Select the cell(s) you want to format.
- Right-click and choose Format Cells.
- Go to the Currency tab.
- Select your desired symbol from the ‘Symbol’ dropdown (find the euro money symbol € for Euros).
- Click OK. Now, typing a number in the cell will automatically format it with the selected currency symbol.
MS-Excel-insert-currency-function
Inserting Currency Signs in Google Docs and Sheets
Google Workspace also makes it easy to use currency symbols.
In Google Docs:
- Open your document.
- Go to Insert > Special characters.
- In the Special characters window, select the ‘Symbol’ category and then ‘Currency’.
- Choose and click on the currency symbol you need (including the euro money symbol €) to insert it.
Google-Docs-currency-options
In Google Sheets:
Formatting cells is the way to go in Google Sheets:
- Select the cell(s) you want to format.
- Go to Format > Number > Custom currency.
- Search or scroll to find the currency you need (like Euro for the euro money symbol €).
- Click Apply. The cell is now formatted for that currency.
Google-Sheets-currency-formatting
For further exploration of HTML and Unicode characters, these resources are helpful:
Whether you’re deciphering prices abroad or formatting financial documents, understanding currency symbols, including the euro money symbol, is a valuable skill in our globalized world.
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This publication is for informational purposes only and doesn’t constitute financial advice.
