Currency Symbols

Currently, there are 180 currencies circulating in 197 countries. All of these currencies have an assigned code or symbol that you can find next to the number that is used as a short, convenient, and easy way to identify them in their written form.

Most currency symbols are based on the Roman alphabet and the use of slashes and crossbars are common. The most common symbol to denote currency is the $ that is used to identify primarily dollars and pesos. To avoid confusion,  the symbol may include a country prefix, for example, US$ for the US dollar, or COP$ for the Colombian peso.  

The evolution and history of currency symbols and their design depends on how long the currency has been around. The dollar and peso sign is believed to have come from the Real del Ocho used by the Spanish Empire, the pound to the L that stands for libra that is a Roman pound of silver. The sign for the Euro that is a newer currency was inspired by the Greek epsilon that references the cradle of European civilization, will the two parallel lines that symbolize the stability of the currency. 

The location of the symbol can also vary. In English and Spanish speaking countries like the United States, Argentina, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, the symbol precedes the number, (e.g $100 or £100 ), while in many European countries like France the symbol is placed after the amount (e.g 100€).  

If you are traveling it is helpful to recognize the most common symbols that you will find in the pricing and goods and restaurants. To help you to easily recognize them here is a list of the top 8 most used and traded currencies in the world: