Currency Symbols

Currency symbols.

Every major world currency symbol — tap to copy the dollar, euro, pound, yen, rupee and dozens more.

Tap any symbol to copy it.

Typing currency symbols

Most currency symbols beyond the dollar aren't on a standard keyboard, so copying is the quickest route — tap one above and paste it into your invoice, spreadsheet, price list or message. A note for spreadsheets and accounting: the symbol is just a character, so for calculations you'll usually want to format the cell as currency rather than typing the symbol into the number itself. For the euro on a physical keyboard, many layouts use AltGr + 4 or Option + Shift + 2; copying avoids having to remember which.

Typing the common ones without copying

On Windows, hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad (the leading zero matters, and it must be the keypad, not the number row): Alt + 0128 gives €, Alt + 0163 £, Alt + 0165 ¥ and Alt + 0162 ¢. On a Mac, Option + 3 gives £ on a UK layout and # on a US one, while Option + Shift + 2 gives €. Windows also has an emoji-and-symbol panel on Win + ., and macOS opens Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space.

In HTML you can write the entity instead: € (€), £ (£), ¥ (¥) and ¢ (¢), or the numeric form such as ₹ for the Indian rupee ₹.

Symbol placement and spacing differ by currency

There is no universal rule, and getting it wrong reads as careless to a local audience.

English convention puts the symbol before the amount with no space: $50, £25, ¥900.
Much of continental Europe places the symbol after, separated by a space: 50 €. French and German usage follows this; Irish and Dutch usage often does not.
Decimal and thousands separators flip too — 1,234.56 in the UK and US is 1.234,56 in Germany and Spain, and 1 234,56 in France.

When the currency could be ambiguous — several countries use a dollar or a krone — the safest form is the three-letter ISO code: USD 50, CAD 50, AUD 50. The currency codes reference lists them, and the currency converter handles live rates.

Why a symbol sometimes shows as a box

A box, or "tofu", means the font in use has no glyph for that character. It is a font problem, not a corrupted file — the underlying data is intact and the symbol will appear correctly anywhere a font covering it is available.

Newer symbols are the usual casualties, because older fonts predate them: the Indian rupee ₹ was adopted in 2010 and the Russian ruble ₽ in 2014. If a symbol has to render reliably in a fixed environment — a PDF invoice, an embedded receipt printer, a legacy accounting system — the ISO code is the dependable choice.

FAQ

How do I type the euro or pound sign?

The fastest way is to copy it from above. If you prefer keyboard shortcuts: on Windows the euro is often AltGr + 4 or Alt + 0128; on Mac the pound is Option + 3 and the euro is Option + Shift + 2 (this varies by keyboard layout).

Why does a currency symbol show as a box?

A box or question mark means the font you're pasting into doesn't include that symbol, or the text isn't using a Unicode encoding. Try a different font, or use the currency's three-letter code (USD, EUR) as a fallback.

What is the Alt code for the euro sign?

Alt + 0128 on Windows, holding Alt and typing the digits on the numeric keypad rather than the number row. The pound is Alt + 0163, the yen Alt + 0165 and the cent Alt + 0162. On a Mac, Option + Shift + 2 gives the euro.

Does the currency symbol go before or after the amount?

It depends on the locale. English convention puts it first with no space ($50, £25), while much of continental Europe puts it after with a space (50 €). Decimal separators differ too, so 1,234.56 in the UK becomes 1.234,56 in Germany.

Should I use the symbol or the currency code?

Use the ISO code when the currency could be ambiguous, since several countries use a dollar or a krone — USD 50 is unmistakable where $50 is not. Codes are also safer in systems with limited font support, such as older accounting software or receipt printers.

Currency symbols.