
Exploring the World’s Currency Symbols (Click here to scroll down to symbols)
In today’s modern age, the world is a much smaller place than it once was. The accessibility of the internet has connected local consumers and businesses to the global market and with it, the world’s unique currencies.
As you are likely aware, virtually every nation has its own currency, and with it, an assigned “shortcode” that is used on the open market (such as currency exchanges). This abbreviated code is also often used when pricing goods both on and offline.
Although some of these are no doubt familiar to you (such as USD or GBP), others have likely been off of your radar. Whether you’re traveling to another country for work or play, you manage or operate an online site with international visitors, or you frequently purchase items or services from international websites, we have you covered.
This guide will help you better understand the currency symbols of the world, how they are used, and what is involved with the transfer or the conversion of one currency to another.
Grab your favorite beverage of choice, kick back, and let’s dive right in…
Currency Signs and Symbols of the World
Currency symbols were developed as a quick and easy shorthand method to display the relevant currency type on and offline. These symbols eliminate the need to write out the full currencies name, and rather allow you to replace the full nomenclature with either an abbreviation and/or unique symbol.
In the following example, you will note two distinct currency signs/symbols: “USD” and “$”.
One-hundred US dollars may be expressed as:
- One-hundred Dollars
- One-hundred USD
- $100
Let’s take a look at one more. In the example below, we’ll examine the currency sign and symbol for the British Pound.
British Pound (also known as British Sterling or Sterling):
- GBP
- £
Why Are Currency Signs Important?
Currency signs and symbols provide a standardized and universally recognized way to quickly and readily identify various currencies. Because of the “exchange rate” between each currency, knowing what type of currency you will be paying in is important.
Continuing with the aforementioned example of USD vs GBP, as of the time this guide was written, $1 was only equal to 0.80 Sterling. If you happened to be from the USA, carrying USD, and ventured into a café, this becomes quite important to note. Similarly, when shopping online you may come across sites that accept payment in different currencies and knowing what you’re working with will make calculating payment and comparing prices much easier.
Should I Write the Currency Symbol Before or After the Numeric Value?
This is a common question we see, and with good reason. The answer, is that it depends. Local customs as well as the currency itself generally dictate what the proper practice is.
For example, some European currencies are properly expressed with the symbol at the end of the numeric value. A good example of this is Germany and France (i.e. 100€).
In most English-speaking countries, such as the USA or Canada, the symbol and/or abbreviation is generally always in front of the numeric value (i.e. $75 USD or CAD 125.00).
With other currencies, you might even encounter the currency symbol located where the “decimal” would normally be in your native currency (i.e. 50$00).
Ok, But How do I Type a Currency Symbol in Microsoft Word?
You find yourself frequently needing to insert various currency symbols in your Word docs? If so you have likely experienced a frustration that many of us have also endured.
The good news is that accomplishing the insertion of currency symbols into Word isn’t all that difficult once you know how to do it.
How to Insert Currency Symbols in Word
OPTION ONE
The first (and potentially most efficient) way of inserting various currency symbols in Word is to utilize a currency shortcut sheet such as: https://www.webnots.com/alt-code-shortcuts-for-currency-symbols/
OPTION TWO (step by step)
- Open the document you’re interested in working on
- In the main menu at the top of the document, click on “Insert”
- At the far right of this new menu, you will see “Symbol”
- Clicking on “Symbol” will present you with a handful of common currency symbols. If your desired symbol is displayed, clicking on it will insert it into the document.
- If your symbol is not displayed, click on “more symbols” at the bottom of the “Symbol menu”
- Doing so will bring up a larger dialog box from which you’ll be presented with a wide range of other symbols
- Find the one you want, click on it, and you’re off to the races
PRO TIP: When you choose the correct symbol, Word will inform you of what it’s respective keyboard shortcut is so you can take note and expedite this process in the future.
What About Adding a Currency Symbol in Microsoft Excel?
If you’re working with numbers and currency, chances are you may need to input these values into an Excel spreadsheet. But similar to Word, finding where to do this isn’t always very apparent.
With Excel, you have two options.
OPTION ONE
Utilize the same steps as in the instructions for Word above, but this time in Excel.
OPTION TWO
Format the “cell” in Excel. By doing so, any number value you type into that cell will automatically be attributed to the proper currency symbol selected.
Steps to Format a Cell
- Open the Excel sheet you are working on
- Click on the cell you wish to format
- Right click
- In the menu that appears, select “format cells”
- From the dialogue boxes drop-down, select “Currency”
- Locate the desired currency symbol
- Click “Ok”
That’s it! From there simply type in any numeric value and hit return. Doing so will convert that number to the proper currency format (symbol and all).
List of Currency Symbols in North America
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dollar | United States | USD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Canadian Dollar | Canada | CAD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Mexican Peso | Mexico | MXN | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Florin | Aruba | AWG | ƒ | |||||
Bajan Dollar | Barbados | BBD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Bermudan Dollar | Bermuda | BMD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Bahamian Dollar | Bahamas | BSD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Dominican Peso | Dominican Republic | DOP | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Jamaican Dollar | Jamaica | JMD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Guatemalan Quetzal | Guatemala | GTQ | Q | |||||
Panamanian Balboa | Panama | PAB | B/. | |||||
Caribbean Dollar | Antigua and Barbuda, Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, and the Grenadines | XCD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
List of Currency Symbols in Europe
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Euro | European Union | EUR | € | € | U+020AC | € | € | \20AC |
British Pound Sterling | United Kingdom, British Indian Ocean Territory, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey | GBP | £ | £ | U+000A3 | £ | £ | \00A3 |
Georgian Lari | Georgia | GEL | ₾ | ₾ | U+20BE | ₾ | \20BE | |
Bulgarian Lev | Bulgaria | BGN | лв | |||||
Swiss Franc | Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Campione d'Italia | CHF | CHF | CHF | ||||
Danish Krone | Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland | DKK | kr | kr | ||||
Czech Republic Koruna | Czech Republic | CZK | Kč | Kč | ||||
Croatian Kuna | Croatia | HRK | kn | kn | ||||
Hungarian Forint | Hungary | HUF | ft | Ft | ||||
Norwegian Krone | Norway, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Bouvet Island | NOK | kr | kr | ||||
Russian Ruble | Russia | RUB | ₽ | ₽ | U+020BD | ₽ | \20BD | |
Polish Zloty | Poland | PLN | zł | zł | ||||
Romanian Leu | Romania | RON | lei | lei | ||||
Swedish Krona | Sweden | SEK | kr | kr | ||||
Ukrainian Hryvnia | Ukraine | UAH | ₴ | ₴ | U+020B4 | ₴ | \20B4 | |
Turkish Lira | Turkey | TRY | ₺ | ₺ | U+020BA | ₺ | \20BA |
List of Currency Symbols in South America
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Argentine Peso | Argentina | ARS | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Bolivian Boliviano | Bolivia | BOB | Bs. | |||||
Brazilian Real | Brazil | BRL | R$ | R$ | ||||
Chilean Peso | Chile | CLP | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Colombian Peso | Colombia | COP | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Peruvian Nuevo Sol | Peru | PEN | S/. | S/. | ||||
Paraguayan Guarani | Paraguay | PYG | ₲ | |||||
Uruguayan Peso | Uruguay | UYU | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Venezuelan Bolívar | Venezuela | VES | Bs. |
List of Currency Symbols in Asia
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japanese Yen | Japan | JPY | ¥ | ¥ | U+000A5 | ¥ | ¥ | \00A5 |
Bangladeshi Taka | Bangladesh | BDT | ৳ | ৳ | U+009F3 | ৳ | \09F3 | |
Chinese Yuan | China | CNY | ¥ | ¥ | U+000A5 | ¥ | ¥ | \00A5 |
Hong Kong Dollar | Hong Kong | HKD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Indian Rupee | India | INR | ₹ | ₹ | U+020B9 | ₹ | \20B9 | |
Cambodian Riel | Cambodia | KHR | ៛ | ៛ | U+017DB | ៛ | \17DB | |
Kip | Laos | LAK | ₭ | ₭ | U+020AD | ₭ | \20AD | |
Sri Lankan Rupee | Sri Lanka | LKR | රු | ₨ | ||||
Rufiyaa | Maldives | MVR | .ރ | |||||
Malaysian Ringgit | Malaysia | MYR | RM | RM | ||||
Nepalese Rupee | Nepal | NPR | रू | |||||
Philippine Peso | Philippines | PHP | ₱ | ₱ | U+020B1 | ₱ | \20B1 | |
Pakistani Rupee | Pakistan | PKR | ₨ | ₨ | U+020A8 | ₨ | \20A8 | |
Singapore Dollar | Singapore | SGD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Thai Baht | Thailand | THB | ฿ | ฿ | U+00E3F | ฿ | \0E3F | |
New Taiwan Dollar | Taiwan | TWD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Vietnamese Dong | Vietnam | VND | ₫ | ₫ | U+020AB | ₫ | \20AB |
List of Currency Symbols in Oceania
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Dollar | Australia, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Norfolk Island, Tuvalu | AUD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Fijian Dollar | Fiji | FJD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
New Zealand Dollar | New Zealand | NZD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
CFP Franc | Wallis and Futuna | XPF | ₣ | F | U+020A3 | ₣ | \20A3 |
List of Currency Symbols in Africa
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Egyptian Pound | Egypt | EGP | £ | £ | U+0FFE1 | £ | \FFE1 | |
Ghanaian Cedi | Ghana | GHS | ₵ | ₵ | U+020B5 | ₵ | \20B5 | |
Dalasi | Gambia | GMD | D | |||||
Kenyan Shilling | Kenya | KES | Sh | |||||
Moroccan Dirham | Morocco | MAD | DH | .د.م | ||||
Malagasy Ariary | Madagascar | MGA | Ar | |||||
Mauritian Rupee | Mauritius | MUR | ₨ | ₨ | U+020A8 | ₨ | \20A8 | |
Namibian Dollar | Namibia | NAD | $ | $ | U+00024 | $ | $ | \0024 |
Nigerian Naira | Nigeria | NGN | ₦ | ₦ | U+020A6 | ₦ | \20A6 | |
Rupee | Seychelles | SCR | ₨ | ₨ | U+020A8 | ₨ | \20A8 | |
Tunisian Dinar | Tunisia | TND | DT | DT | ||||
Ugandan Shilling | Uganda | UGX | Sh | |||||
CFA Franc BEAC | Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon | XAF | Fr | |||||
CFA Franc BCEAO | Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo | XOF | Fr | |||||
South African Rand | Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa | ZAR | Br |
List of Currency Symbols in Middle East
Currency | Country | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | HTML Entity | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Arab Emirates Dirham | United Arab Emirates | AED | د.إ | |||||
Israeli New Sheqel | Israel | ILS | ₪ | ₪ | U+020AA | ₪ | \20AA | |
Syrian Pound | Syria | SYP | £ | £ | U+000A3 | £ | £ | \00A3 |
Jordanian Dinar | Jordan | JOD | د.ا | |||||
Kuwaiti Dinar | Kuwait | KWD | د.ك | |||||
Lebanese Pound | Lebanon | LBP | ل.ل | |||||
Omani Rial | Oman | OMR | ر.ع. | |||||
Qatari Rial | Qatar | QAR | ر.ق | |||||
Saudi Riyal | Saudi Arabia | SAR |
List of Cryptocurrencies
Currency | Currency Code | Currency Symbol | Hex Currency Code | Unicode Characters | HTML Currency Symbol | CSS Code |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bitcoin | BTC | ₿ | ₿ | U+20BF | ₿ | \20BF |
Ethereum | ETH | Ξ | Ξ | U+039E | Ξ | |
Litecoin | LTC | Ł | Ł | U+0141 | Ł | |
Ripples | XRP | XRP |
Put Your Newfound Knowledge to Work
Understanding what currency symbols are, how they are used, and how to utilize them in common applications such as Word and Excel is an important skill to have. Whether traveling abroad for work or pleasure, or shopping on your favorite international website, being able to identify and properly utilize currency symbols can be a real asset.