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Does this legalese make sense?

Glossary entry

English term or phrase:

placement of the currency symbol

English answer:

Place symbol before for the U.S., UK and English Canada

Added to glossary by RHELLER
Jan 12, 2006 21:02
18 yrs ago
42 viewers *
English term

May I put the currency sign after the amount?

English Bus/Financial Business/Commerce (general) Placement of currency sign
As far as I can tell, the placement of the currency sign/symbol (and the ISO 4217 code, e.g. "EUR") depends on the varies by currency (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currency_sign ).

And apparently, most English-speaking countries place the currency sign before the amount, e.g. $450.50. The standardized European default placement, used in absence of a national standard, is that "€" is placed before the amount (see http://www.answers.com/topic/currency-sign ).

Even before I came to Germany and was exposed to placing the currency sign "DM" after the amount for the first time, I have always found that the placement before the amount just doesn't work as well with the rest of the punctuation. The amount I mentioned above is a perfect example: I think it just looks a bit strange to have the decimal and the period separated only by the numbers (it gets worse the higher the amount because of the commas).

I think it looks better following the amount, e.g. 1,250.03 $. What do you think? Does anyone have the 'definitive' rule handy?

Thanks for your help - I look forward to hearing your opinions.
:-)
Responses
4 +11 not acceptable in the U.S.
4 +9 NO
5 +5 English Canada before, French Canada after
5 +3 No
4 -2 It depends on the currency

Discussion

Tony M Jan 12, 2006:
Does have the advantage, tho', of matching pronunciation: 3�50 "three euros fifty"
Tony M Jan 12, 2006:
Pidzej has raised an interesting point about putting the currency symbol in the MIDDLE, as a decimal separator; very common in Europe in shops, and actually quite practical, but not appropriate for formal texts, I think, and no good for �;...
Tony M Jan 12, 2006:
Useful link, not for currency, but US view of metric units:


http://ts.nist.gov/ts/htdocs/200/202/metrsty3.htm
Tony M Jan 12, 2006:
...correct usage here would largely obviate your objection, I feel. �1,520�26.
Tony M Jan 12, 2006:
...and as a typographer, I don't have a problem with the figures preceding the period; what is far MORE 'offensive' to me is the persistent use of the 'period' instead of the proper centre-line decimal point � as the decimals separator; ...
Tony M Jan 12, 2006:
I don't think one can really base a whole style rule just on how something looks on the odd occasion it comes at the end of a sentence! In fact, it might almost be better to say that it is poor style to end a sentence with a currency written in figures!
Derek Gill Franßen (asker) Jan 12, 2006:
Sorry, Nancy American dollars and euros (in English). :-)
NancyLynn Jan 12, 2006:
For which currency, which country, and in which language, Derek?

Responses

+11
4 mins
Selected

not acceptable in the U.S.

-sorry

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Note added at 6 mins (2006-01-12 21:08:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

unless you are spelling out the word
1,000.00 dollars
Peer comment(s):
agree Elena Petelos : ;-) Happy New Year, you!
3 mins
hny - thanks Elena :-)
agree Premium✍️
4 mins
merci Multipro :-)
agree Lori Dendy-Molz
7 mins
merci, idwerk :-)
agree Tony M : I think it's more to do with the language you are working in than the actual currency / Certainly NOT acceptable in the UK either
30 mins
well, I'm glad you cleared that up :-)
agree Martine Brault
35 mins
merci traviata :-)
agree PB Trans
57 mins
Hi Pina :-)
agree Enza Longo : Hi Rita - agree with Dusty that it depends on the language, English Canada definitely before, as for French Canada....vive la difference!
1 hr
yes, wouldn't the world be a boring place if we all just...put our signs in the same place ? :-))
agree NancyLynn
3 hrs
agree Alfa Trans (X)
20 hrs
agree Dave Calderhead : Yes - in financial reporting EUR 100 or USD 1 million, or 100 euros or one million dollars
1 day 2 hrs
agree Joanna Borowska
2 days 23 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Selected automatically based on peer agreement."
-2
2 mins

It depends on the currency

*

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2006-01-12 21:07:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

$25.50 or 25.50 $

£25.50

50,00 €

The pound sign usually goes first. The dollar sign can be either because it is the sign which counts and the euro goes at the end.
Whatever is on a banknote will indicate the correct usage to you.
Peer comment(s):
disagree Elena Petelos : The euro goes at the end?/In which style guide? Certainly not the EU one!
9 mins
YES!!!!!!!!
disagree Tony M : I think it's more to do with the language you are working in than the actual currency itself
37 mins
neutral Martine Brault : In French the sign would go after, in English (as in this question) it goes before.
39 mins
Something went wrong...
+5
8 mins

English Canada before, French Canada after

French Canada has modeled itself after France in this case, and in my mind it always makes sense: after all, in speech we say the word "dollar" after the amount, not before, right? But the Globe & Mail will write it thusly: $100.00, and Le Droit will have it as 100,00 $.

HTH
Peer comment(s):
agree Martine Brault : and with an unbreakable space between the value and the sign, so that they do not get separated :o).
35 mins
exactly, thanks trav!
agree Enza Longo
1 hr
thanks Enza
agree Sophia Finos (X)
3 hrs
agree Yavor Dimitrov
23 hrs
agree Romanian Translator (X)
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
+9
7 mins

NO

Not in English, Derek. Even when you have e.g. $1,250.03, if you read it out loud, you say the 'dollars' in the middle, i.e. before the 'and three cents' -- so would you propose putting the dollar sign in place of the decimal? I don't think so : )

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 15 mins (2006-01-12 21:17:14 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Of course, if you're using the "cent" sign, say for 'my two cents' (2¢), it conveniently comes after the number. Same for British pence -- 50P.

See also Wikipedia:

Good style

* NZ$100,000
* AU$100,000
* US$100 million
* GBP 100,000
* 2000 Chinese renminbi
* Two thousand Chinese renminbi

[edit]

Bad style

* $190 — This can lead to ambiguity in non-country specific articles as to which dollar is meant.
* $100 — this is hard to read
* 100$ — Although it is read like this, it is not a standard way to write it. Dollars are sometimes written this way by Canadian francophones writing in English. This is also the way Portuguese escudos were expressed prior to the euro being introduced.
* $200 (US)
* $US200

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Naming_conventions_(c...
Note from asker:
I get what you are saying, Brie. But it not so much the disparity between how it sounds and how it is written. I don't like how it LOOKS (particularly at the end of a sentence). ;-)
Peer comment(s):
agree Lori Dendy-Molz : Same deal with euros: the way it's read out loud doesn't correspond to how it's written, so it's best to stick to accepted style.
8 mins
Yes, thanks Lori
agree Tony M : Excellent explanation! /// Well, it USED to be common in the UK, but seems to be out of favour now! I guess you're all too young to remember :-)))
31 mins
Thanks, Dusty - can't agree with your "centre-line decimal point" argument, though -- I have Never seen this usage in American English.//Yep, that's me, just a young'un : )
agree Robert Kleemaier
36 mins
Thanks, Robert
agree Enza Longo
1 hr
Thanks, Enza
agree pidzej : in fact the Portuguese escudo did, and Chile's peso does use the $ sign in lieu of the usual separator: 480$00 , so its neither before not after the amount!//would've thought "agree" says it all, rest is exciting useless info
1 hr
Thanks, Pidzej -- but the question is about English usage, isn't it?//Sorry, Pidzej, of course it does/is. I just don't think that English is likely to ever "copy" the convention.
agree cmwilliams (X)
1 hr
Thanks, cm
agree Cilian O'Tuama : I've never heard of the centre-line d.p. either, so hey...
3 hrs
Thanks, Cilian ... so you must be a young'un, too!
agree Alfa Trans (X)
20 hrs
Thanks, Marju
agree Joanna Borowska
2 days 23 hrs
Thanks, ryfka
Something went wrong...
+3
8 mins

No

For the EU, the Interinstitutional Style Guide states:
The currency abbreviation precedes the amount and is followed by a space.

http://europa.eu.int/comm/translation/writing/style_guides/e...

However, currency symbols* are closed up.

As for the US, I believe the same rule applies.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 31 mins (2006-01-12 21:33:28 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

https://www.sla.org/PDFs/SLAStyleGuide.pdf
I'm afraid the GPO agrees with the EU, Derek.
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/
Note from asker:
It does look that way, doesn't it? Well, it was worth a try. ;-)
Peer comment(s):
agree Martine Brault
32 mins
Thanks!
agree Tony M : That's always been my observation too; even here in France, things like cheque books etc. are often pre-printed with the € symbol in front
33 mins
Indeed! (Best wishes for 2006, Dusty!) :)
agree cmwilliams (X)
1 hr
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
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