Is it purely by convention that the dollar symbol ($) comes before the value and the cent symbol (￠) come after? For example, "$1" and "50￠".
Is it ever correct to write a value of cents greater than 99, for example 101￠?
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1It is exactly the same with £ (pounds sterling) and pence. It is written £1.50, or £1 and 50p. I am not suggesting this makes it right. I am equally intrigued as to why. But it could well be a convention which the American colonists inherited from the mother country. Thinking back to pre-1971 when we had the old currency, pounds, shillings and pence, whilst the £ sign always went first, shillings and pence followed.WS2– WS22015-02-09 08:52:16 +00:00Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 8:52
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Writing a full value in pence is not wrong, in fact there are some places where it's the conventionblgt– blgt2015-02-09 09:27:27 +00:00Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 9:27
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1Related: What is the difference between 20$ and $20?.Lei Zhao– Lei Zhao2025-11-20 13:41:25 +00:00Commented Nov 20 at 13:41
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Currency symbols have long histories. The Wikipedia article on British pre-decimal currency shows there were various conventions, but d (for pence) came after numbers and the pound sign before. There's a section on the cent sign, but not much history. I'm sure you could trace the history of US currency going back further (a lot about US currency, including the dollar sign, derives from old Spanish currency).Stuart F– Stuart F2025-11-20 14:55:39 +00:00Commented Nov 20 at 14:55
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1 Answer
Writing the sign of the currency before the amount was and still is bank usage as it is important to see at once the currency. With amounts below one unit there was no need to change the normal order of amount + unit just as it is spoken. Why the bank usage was adopted by newspapers is another question. One can only say the bank usage has become the general way of writing amount of money and currency contrary to the way we speak. But I think it would not be wrong to write 50 $, 50 £ or 50 Eu/€.
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3With US dollars, Sterling and Euros, it is wrong to write the symbol after the number. There do exist currencies where that is the customary position, though.2015-02-09 11:39:45 +00:00Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 11:39
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3It’s $50, £50, and €50. It doesn’t matter whether you like it or not: it’s how we do it in English. Welcome to our language.2015-02-09 11:59:46 +00:00Commented Feb 9, 2015 at 11:59
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1I've never seen €50 (or so rarely that I do not remember). I think it is more customary to write 50€.Peutch– Peutch2018-06-26 15:24:00 +00:00Commented Jun 26, 2018 at 15:24
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1I think this is a fine and practical answer. Thank you. Some emotionalism has been taking place.Elliot– Elliot2025-11-20 04:57:57 +00:00Commented Nov 20 at 4:57
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1Lei Zhao, just because foreigners write alien things that we natives do not and which we consider wrong in our language does not mean that we should depart from our own practice and guidance in this regard.2025-11-20 13:57:28 +00:00Commented Nov 20 at 13:57