Currency icons and titles. Currency signs from different countries of the world. Where does the notation $ come from?

The Russian ruble has finally acquired an official graphic symbol - now the national currency will be denoted by a crossed out letter “R”. About why currencies need special graphic signs and why most symbols of the world's monetary units contain horizontal "dashes" - in the material on the site.

Why do currencies need graphic symbols?

Not every currency in the world can boast of its own sign. Thus, Latvian lats, Swiss francs, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish kronor, Croatian kunas and many other currencies of the world do without special symbols. In total, according to the global Unicode standard (the standard for encoding characters and signs of written languages), at the moment only about thirty world currencies have officially registered graphic symbols. Among them there are also those that are no longer in use - for example, signs of the Italian lira (£), German mark (ℳ), and French franc (₣), which became obsolete after the introduction of the euro.

Meanwhile, it is hard not to admit that currencies that have their own graphic symbols are much more widespread than monetary units that do not have their own symbols. Thus, the dollar ($), pound (£), euro (€), and yen (¥) are undoubtedly not only the most popular, but also the strongest and most influential currencies in the world.

Approval of the ruble symbol

The introduction of the official symbol of the Russian ruble, according to the Bank of Russia, became the most important event in the country's economy. “Moscow lays claim to the status of an international financial center. An objective need has arisen to introduce a symbol of the national currency, recognized within the country and abroad,” said Elvira Nabiullina, Chairman of the Central Bank of Russia, on December 11, presenting the approved designation of the Russian currency.

The adoption of one sign as a designation of a monetary unit allows, in addition, to unify all variants of its previous spelling: thus, after the official approval of the ruble symbol, there will no longer be any doubt about how best to say about the ruble in writing - 100 rubles, 100 rubles. or 100 rub.

What do the symbols of different world currencies have in common?

Some of the graphic images of monetary units developed naturally, as a result of various historical events, and some were formed during the development of many options, as well as popular votes. So, it is impossible to present any special requirements for creating a symbol of a particular currency. However, the graphic image must be convenient and easy to write, otherwise it will be useless - after all, currency signs are introduced in order to become recognizable and replace the full names of currencies in writing.

Dollar, euro, pound, Japanese yen, Vietnamese dong, Israeli new shekel

Graphic symbols of almost all currencies in the world have horizontal “dashes” in their structure. This is not only the British pound sterling (£), the euro (€), the Ukrainian hryvnia (₴), the Japanese yen (¥), the Kazakh tenge (₸) and, finally, the symbol of the Russian ruble that has received official status. Thus, the symbols of the Indian rupee (₹), South Korean won (₩) and many other currencies of the world are also written using one or more horizontal stripes.

Such stripes on signs are a generally recognized symbol of the stability of the currency in whose writing they are present. That is why, as representatives of the Central Bank of Russia themselves stated, the line is also used in the symbol of the ruble.

From Russia with love

The approved symbol of the Russian ruble, which is a crossed out “R”, is not the first sign of the national currency, but it is the only one officially recognized. It should be added, however, that for a long time it was the most popular of the unofficial designations of the Russian currency.

During the time of the Russian Empire, there was a different way of writing the ruble: it was by combining the capital letters “r” and “u”. According to the most common version, the "p" was turned 90 degrees counterclockwise, and then the "y" was written on top of the letter. This designation of the ruble was indicated not after the numbers, as today, but above them. However, despite the attempts of some publishers, this ruble sign was not widely used in print.

Now the graphic symbol of the ruble has become - and is already completely legal - the crossed out letter "R". This sign was approved by the Central Bank of Russia on December 11. The selected symbol was recognized as the most popular based on the results of a vote that the Central Bank conducted on its website. A one-ruble coin with a new graphic symbol of the national currency will appear in circulation in 2014.

Approved symbol of the ruble. Photo: cbr.ru

In early November, the Central Bank submitted the graphic symbol of the ruble for public discussion. The finalist signs were selected by a working group of the Bank of Russia from more than three thousand options. The crossed out “P” was supported by more than 61% of respondents during the voting.

Crossed out letters and more

Since horizontal stripes are a fairly popular “attribute” of currency symbols, it is not surprising that there are already a number of monetary units in the world, the signs of which are very similar to the new ruble designation. Thus, most countries in which pesos are used to pay use the American dollar sign ($) or a similar one, only with two transverse stripes, to designate their currencies. But in the Philippines, the peso, meanwhile, is denoted by a different symbol - ₱, which is similar to the new designation of the Russian ruble.

Symbols of various currencies of the world: including the American dollar, Korean won, Netherlands Antilles guilder

The Nigerian naira is also crossed out - however, already with two stripes (₦). In addition, the Ukrainian hryvnia (₴) and the Laotian kip (₭) have similar designations - in the form of crossed out letters.

In the graphic designs of some national currencies, horizontal lines are present in a different way. Thus, the new Israeli shekel looks more like a beautiful rectangular pattern (₪), that of the country of Bangladesh - like a solid sign from the Russian alphabet (৳), and the guilder of the Netherlands Antilles - like a mathematical notation for a function (ƒ).

Where did the most famous currency symbols come from?

Today there is no single view on the origin of the $ sign, but it is quite possible that the American currency owes its characteristic design to the inhabitants of Foggy Albion. The fact is that the English king George III at one time ordered the use of Spanish reals, which cost 1/8 of the English pound sterling, in circulation. This money was called "piece of eight", which eventually became the abbreviated "peso". Soon they began to be used to pay with them in the North American colonies of England, where they also began to be called dollars.

The crossed out eight was wisely chosen as the written symbol for "piece of eight". However, soon this spelling turned out to be too long and inconvenient, as a result of which the symbol turned into a “truncated” eight - $.

According to the theory of American Patriots, $, however, originated differently: becoming a simplified combination of the letters "U" and "S" (the first letters of the name of the United States - US), superimposed on each other. Another version of the appearance of the American dollar symbol says that the “progenitors” of the $ sign were the Spaniards, who wrote down the peso currency by combining the letters “P” and “S”.

The Roots of Fancy Writing British pound are hidden in the Latin letter "L", supplemented horizontally with a line (or two lines) in the middle. “L” itself comes from the Latin word libra (libra, pound), which denoted the main measure of weight in Ancient Rome and England.

The pound - £ or ₤ - is used not only in the UK, but also in some other countries around the world.

The euro, as a young currency, received its sign as a result of an analysis of the public opinion of Europeans. It is believed that the authors of € were four experts, whose names for some reason it was decided not to disclose.

According to the European Commission, the graphic image of the euro carries the significance of European civilization (symbolized by the Greek letter “epsilon”), identity with Europe itself (the letter “E”) and stability (parallel lines crossing the letter).

From $ to €

The first use of a symbol of any (some) currency dates back to 1972. It may be necessary if, for example, the symbol of the required currency is not available in a computer font.

Designation of any currency

The sign of some currency is a circle from which, like the sun, four rays extend at an angle of 90 degrees relative to each other.

Anna Teplitskaya

Why do currencies need graphic symbols?

Approval of the ruble symbol

What do the symbols of different world currencies have in common?

Dollar, euro, pound, Japanese yen, Vietnamese dong, Israeli new shekel

From Russia with love

Approved symbol of the ruble. Photo: cbr.ru

Crossed out letters and more

Symbols of various currencies of the world: including the American dollar, Korean won, Netherlands Antilles guilder

Where did the most famous currency symbols come from?

The pound - £ or ₤ - is used not only in the UK, but also in some other countries around the world.

From $ to €

The first use of a symbol of any (some) currency dates back to 1972. It may be necessary if, for example, the symbol of the required currency is not available in a computer font.

Designation of any currency

The sign of some currency is a circle from which, like the sun, four rays extend at an angle of 90 degrees relative to each other.

Anna Teplitskaya

The most popular currencies in the world have a huge impact on financial processes. Each popular currency has its own symbol, which makes it recognizable among others. It is difficult to confuse the American dollar sign with the euro, or the Japanese yen sign with the British pound. But what do the signs and symbols mean on popular world currencies? And what is the history of their appearance?

American dollar ($)

The English pound (£ or ₤) is combination of two symbols:

— Latin letter “L”;
- two horizontal lines.

The pound sign is also used in the currencies of other countries (Egypt, Turkey), since it also means “lira” (from the Latin Libra). This is exactly what the measure of weight was in England and Ancient Rome.

Euro – Single currency of the European Union (€)

The EU currency sign was created after a sociological survey, in which residents of the European Commonwealth participated. The official presentation of the new symbol took place at the end of 1996.

Euro - very young currency(her year of birth was 1999). According to the European Commission, which was involved in the development of the sign, € is a combination of two elements:

— the Greek letter “epsilon” (symbol of the importance of Europe);
- two lines parallel to each other (symbol of currency stability).

Swiss franc (Fr)

If several years ago there were several currencies called “francs,” today, of all the “francs” of the European Union, only Swiss money is still used. The symbol itself is a capital letter "F" and a small "r". Franks were first used in the 14th century in France.

Japanese yen (¥)

Yen recognized reserve currency in the countries of Asia, where one of the most powerful, technically developed and economically strong countries in the world is located - Japan. True, the Japanese currency is popular only in the East. And the symbol of Japanese money itself is derived from the Chinese yuan.

The yen symbol is hieroglyphs or Latin. The symbol "¥" represents the Japanese yen, which is derived from the Latin letter Y and two parallel lines. In Japan, the yen is written as the character "円".

Half a century ago, the International Monetary Fund recognized the Japanese yen as an international reserve currency, at the same time the yen received the international symbol ¥.

Chinese Yuan (Ұ)

Yuan was once called silver coins, which were used during the Qing Dynasty. Yuan is written with the sign “元” or “圓”, but recently “Ұ” is used for the international designation.

In the 18th century, silver coins were brought to China from Europe, which were called “Western Yuans”. And later, in Hong Kong (Japan), they started producing silver coins. They were called “Hong Kong yuan”, their pronunciation changed to the Japanese style - “yuan”.

Literally, "yen" is round coins. In China, the yuan is the basis of any monetary system. So, the American dollar sounds like “mei yuan” in Chinese.

Russian ruble

And, once upon a time, the ruble was the name given to the monetary currency of the Russian Empire. The symbol of today's ruble was approved only in December 2013. It consists of the letter "P" and a horizontal line that crosses the inscription.

Back in the 17th century, there was a progenitor of the current ruble. The symbol consisted of two letters: “P” and “U”. The first letter was perpendicular to the second and was located counterclockwise. And the very name “ruble” was found back in the 13th century and meant a pound of silver, weighing one hryvnia, cut into pieces.

Ukrainian hryvnia (₴)

This young currency appeared only in the mid-90s in Ukraine, despite the fact that money was called “hryvnia” several centuries ago. The currency symbol “₴” itself was officially approved in 2004.

Symbol "₴" is derived from the letter "g", taken from the Cyrillic alphabet and two horizontal stripes that symbolize the stability of the currency. Recently, Ukrainian paper money was recognized as the most beautiful in the world.

Kuwaiti Dinar (X)

This currency replaced the Indian rupee in the 60s of the last century. And today it is one of. The name itself is derived from the name of the coin of the Roman Empire. Dinars ( Golden coins) 800 years ago were used as the currency of the countries of the East. The ancestors of the Kuwaiti dinar are ancient Roman coins " denarii" They were the most popular silver coins in Ancient Rome.

Omani rial (﷼)

Recognized as one of the most expensive currencies. The name comes from Lat. "royal" and was first used to refer to money in 14th century Spain. Later, rials began to be used in a number of colonies, which had a huge impact on the formation of the monetary system in the countries of South America, Asia, the East and Europe.

Banknote symbols have different histories and origins. Some of them are very young, others are borrowed from other cultures. But the value and popularity of currencies does not depend on this. Both new and old currencies are used very successfully and are an integral part of major financial transactions around the world.

There are about two hundred countries on the political map of the world today. Each of them has its own financial system and monetary policy, of which its own monetary system remains a part.

At the same time, in the last 15-20 years, cases of individual countries abandoning their own currency in favor of a stronger or supranational one have appeared. A striking example here will be the formation of a common European currency (euro), which replaced the German mark, French franc, Estonian krone and other currencies of the countries that are part of the European Union. The second reason for abandoning its own currency was the desire to stabilize the country’s finances, ensure greater attractiveness for investors, and reduce inflation due to the actual destruction of its own monetary system. An example here would be Zimbabwe, which abandoned its own dollar in favor of foreign currencies due to gigantic inflation, which practically made it impossible for local money to perform its basic functions.

Designation of world currencies

Several examples of countries indicating the abandonment of their own currency and, accordingly, the ability to influence the economy through monetary mechanisms have not radically reduced the number of types of funds. Today their number significantly exceeds a hundred, so to simplify work with them, conventional markings of various currencies of the world are used. This is especially true due to their similar names. So, a large number of countries have their own dollars, crowns and other types of currencies. Using a uniform designation for different currencies will allow you to clearly and quickly separate, for example, the Australian dollar from the American dollar, the Norwegian krone from the Danish, and so on. At the same time, the difference in the exchange rates of the same currencies can be significant.

Currency designation system. Major currencies of the world

To simplify the work of the global financial sector, the development of foreign trade and economic relations between countries, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted a separate standard providing for the introduction of a unified system for designating world currencies.

Today, the ISO international standard includes the alphabetic and numerical designations of about 150 currencies from around the world (in reality, their number is larger, but the standard takes into account all the more or less significant ones). Of the entire variety of currencies, 7 have been identified, which today are considered basic, and 9 more are classified as basic.

Letter designation of world currencies

In accordance with current regulations, the letter designation of world currencies is as follows:

US dollar (letter designation - USD, digital designation - 840), which is used as a means of payment for settlements in 20+ countries of the world. Also, the US dollar remains one of the world's main reserve currencies (about half of the reserves are stored in it).
The euro (letter designation - EUR, digital designation - 978) is the currency of 17 countries that are part of the European Union, which appeared on the cash market in 2002. It is also an important reserve currency in the world, accounting for about 30% of all reserves.
The British pound (letter designation - GBP, digital designation - 826) is once the main world currency, which began to lose its importance about a century ago. Today the pound accounts for about 4% of world reserves.
The Japanese yen (letter symbol - JPY, digital symbol - 392) is one of the most popular currencies for payments in Asian countries, thanks to the economic power of the Land of the Rising Sun.
The Swiss franc (letter designation - CHF, digital designation - 756) is one of the oldest and most reliable currencies, which is valued for its stability, thanks to the country's banking system and significant reserves.
The Australian dollar (letter designation - AUD, digital designation - 036) is the currency of the largest economy in Oceania, which is closely linked to China, and is among the most developed in the world.
The Canadian dollar (letter designation - CAD, digital designation - 124) is a popular currency, thanks to the country's great influence on world commodity markets and widespread use among importers.
The New Zealand dollar (letter designation NZD, numerical designation 544) is a currency that is often called the kiwi due to the presence of a bird on the $1 bill.

In addition to the base currencies, there are 9 more main ones, which are widely used in payments, have high stability and a good reputation. These include the following funds:

Swedish krona;
Norwegian krone;
Danish krone;
Singapore dollar;
Hong Kong dollar;
South Korean won;
South African rand;
Israeli new shekel.

Russian ruble. Currency symbol

In accordance with the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization, the currency designation consists of three letters (symbols). In general, the first two characters identify the country, and the third corresponds to the first letter of the immediate name of the currency. If we are talking about the Russian ruble, then the currency designation today is RUR. It consists of the following blocks:

RU - abbreviated designation of the country (Russia);
R is the designation of the currency itself.

Unfortunately, the Russian ruble is not yet one of the base or major currencies. The reason is the relatively small size of the national economy, an undeveloped financial sector (the country has not yet managed to become a regional business center), an exclusive focus on the raw materials sector, and the predominance of low value-added enterprises. At the same time, the use of base currencies in foreign trade, even between countries that have a different monetary unit, significantly reduces conversion costs due to the high liquidity of world markets specifically for them.

Other world currencies are coded similarly.

Forex currency designation system

The Forex currency designation system is in accordance with ISO standards, which increases visibility for traders and investors working on it, while allowing one to uniquely and clearly identify a specific currency.

Nowadays, the currency symbols of various countries are used everywhere, and no one questions why the euro, for example, is symbolized as €. But the sign of a currency and its designation is an interesting topic, behind which many interesting facts are hidden.

Why does money need graphic symbols?

Few currencies in the world can present their own signs. The following money does not have special designations: Swiss francs, Croatian kunas, Latvian lats, etc. According to the world Unicode standard, currently only thirty world banknotes have officially recorded graphic symbols. Among them, there are some that are not currently used due to the introduction of the euro: this is the symbol of the French franc (₣).

It would seem, why write the euro currency sign in the form of symbols if you can write 100 euros, and not 100 €?

There are several factors according to which short designations for a particular currency are introduced into use:

Such signs are very convenient, because as soon as they do not indicate the ruble: rub. or ruble. It looks unoriginal and is not always clear to foreigners.
Having your own designation for a currency is prestigious. Such banknotes are automatically classified as strong and successfully developing.

When a state is able to develop, approve and include a currency symbol in UNICODE, we can say that the country has increased its authority at the global level.

Signs of world currencies and the main requirements for them

When developing a designation for any country, designers adhere to the following requirements:

The symbol must consist of one character. If the designation has 2 or more of them, it will cause both inconvenience when reading and difficulty in writing.
It should be easily recognized by citizens of the country who use this currency. It would be great if foreigners could recognize it, because the symbol of any currency is unique.
The designation should not depend on the font. The sign must be recognizable in any font system.
All symbols have width restrictions: if we consider all currency symbols, they are no thicker than 0.
The icon should not be overloaded with additional elements (wavy lines, etc.).
The symbol must be unique, unlike any other.

When developing symbols, strict requirements are taken into account, so sometimes they contain similar elements: vertical or horizontal dashes, and possibly two. Such symbols denote stability, and this is the main thing that all currencies in the world strive for.

The history of the appearance of the Russian ruble symbol

The most famous symbols that represent a specific currency have their own history.

The well-known designation of the ruble (₽) is presented in the form of the letter P, which is crossed out by a horizontal line below. It denotes stability and distinguishes a currency sign from a letter of the alphabet.

During the times of the Russian Empire, the ruble was written differently: the capital letters “r” and “u” were combined. According to the most common version, the letter “r” was turned 90 degrees and the letter “y” was written on top of it. The sign turned out to be unique, but it turned out to be difficult to use, especially in writing.

Therefore, the designation did not take root, and the symbol had to be reinvented.

The process of developing the ruble symbol is interesting:

The Central Bank of Russia held 2 competitions on this issue. The first was held in 2007, but all the proposals were not particularly original.
The next competition was held in 2013, but no new version of the ruble symbol was invented.

Masters of type design were involved in the design process: Alexander Tarbeev and Vladimir Efimov.

The ruble (₽) currency symbol is now officially recognized, which was approved by the Central Bank of Russia. The designation is implemented in UNICODE.

Single currency symbol

The designation of the currency of the European Union (€) was approved after a sociological survey of citizens of the member countries of the commonwealth. This mark was officially introduced in 1996. The authors are considered to be four specialists, whose details have not been disclosed.

The logo was chosen very well. According to the commission that made the final decision, the sign demonstrates:

The significance of European civilization, because it includes the Greek letter "epsilon".
Stability, which is confirmed by two parallel horizontal lines.
Identification with Europe (letter E).

The euro is considered one of the youngest monetary units on the planet. The world's currency symbols, such as the dollar, yuan and yen signs, have a longer history of development.

Where did the $ notation come from?

Many inhabitants of the planet are familiar with the designation in the form of the Latin letter S, which is crossed out by one (two) vertical lines, regardless of whether they are faced with the field of finance or not. The exact version of the appearance of this designation is unknown, but there are several versions of the origin of the sign:

Presumably the $ sign has a lot in common with the spelling US. If we move U and S towards each other, we get the symbol for American currency.
Another version is associated with Spain and its currency - the peso. 1 peso is equal to 8 reais; when writing this was done to save time - /8/. Over time, the inscription may have been simplified: only halves remained of the eights, and the oblique lines turned into one vertical line.
The next version is also Spanish. To denote plural numbers, Ps was used, then all that was left of P was a line, and the letter S became full. Only this version has documentary evidence from 1778. In this message, a certain Olliver Polak first wrote Ps, and then corrected it to $.
You should not refuse the version associated with the Roman theme. It was customary for the Romans to designate sestertius as LLS, then the spelling was shortened, and it became known as $. This option cannot be abandoned, because in the US Congress the upper house is called the Senate.
The last version of the origin of $ is how printed sheets were designated. Previously, their number was designated sh, in this case s resembled the number 5 in writing. Then h was transformed into a line that was superimposed on S.

Currently, the most popular currencies in the world are represented by the US currency. But the sign of the American currency is known throughout the world, and it is not possible to establish exactly where it came from.

Ukrainian currency symbol

In Ukraine, they started thinking about introducing a designation for their national currency back in 2004. First, the National Bank of Ukraine held a corresponding competition for the currency sign, and in the end the best option was chosen.

Hryvnia is a rather ancient name for a monetary unit, but it did not have a separate designation. Finding a suitable option was not difficult. The Ukrainian currency sign is represented in the form of “₴”, where the main part of the symbol resembles the letter g, and two horizontal lines are added to it. The dashes, as in all other signs, symbolize stability.

Some historians were able to notice the coincidence of the currency designation with the Roman sextula. The symbol indicating 0.5 sextule is exactly like ₴, although it is pointless to look for Roman roots in this situation.

Japanese yen and Chinese yuan

The yen has been the currency of Japan since 1871. It is considered the main reserve currency of the world after the American dollar and the euro. This happened thanks to the steadily developing economy of the Land of the Rising Sun.

The international designation is ¥, and in the country itself they use the hieroglyph on price tags. The official date of appearance of this sign is considered to be 1953, when the IMF, in order to help restore the Japanese economy, officially equated 1 yen to 2.5 grams of gold. Then the corresponding designation appeared.

In addition, the yen symbol is also used for the Chinese yuan. When written, the yuan should have one dash, but in practice this is not done.

English pound sign

The British pound, despite its fall due to Brexit, is considered one of the most stable currencies in the world. The sign is designated - £, which resembles the Latin letter L, supplemented by one or two horizontal lines in the middle.

The history of its origin is connected with Ancient Rome and its measurement system. The pound got its name from the phrase “liberal weight”. In the past, 1 pound of silver yielded 240 coins. Therefore, libral or true weight was used to determine the quality of coins or their degree of wear.

The designation of currencies in the form of symbols is not at all a mandatory procedure, because in the world there are many monetary units that use abbreviations. However, if a state has a separately designed symbol, then its currency is considered to be stable and reliable. Symbols have not only monetary units of countries with a rich historical past. There is a euro currency sign for the recently formed European Union.