# Origin of money symbols **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 21, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-money-symbols/170104 "2003-04-21T19:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kad271](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/278dde/32.png) [@kad271](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kad271)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-money-symbols/170104/1 "2003-04-21T19:29:41Z")
What is the origin of the $ sign? Also, what is the origin of the pound sterling sign? ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingwithChickens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SwimmingwithChickens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingwithChickens)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-money-symbols/170104/2 "2003-04-21T19:32:50Z")
While I’m sure many people will assume that the $ originally came from a merging of U and S (as in the US), but I think the symbol actually goes back to the 1400’s, prior to the revolutionary war. IIRC there is a linkage to the Spanish Dabloon (SP??) ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-money-symbols/170104/3 "2003-04-21T19:34:49Z")
The sterling symbol £ is supposed to look like an ornate capital L with a crossbar or two. The Latin for pound is _libra_. Pre-decimalisation we also used s for shilling and d for penny (= Latin _solidus_ and _denarius_). ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-money-symbols/170104/4 "2003-04-21T19:44:06Z")
[What does the S in the dollar sign represent?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_178.html)