# Why does the $ symbol go in front of the amount? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362 "2009-12-15T15:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/21 "2009-12-17T22:29:41Z")
There is also the custom of writing two thousand dollars as $2M and three million as $3MM. It varies in several ways from other unit nomenclature. ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2009, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/22 "2009-12-17T22:57:22Z")
> [@fandango](#): > > (Some countries do put the currency first–In India, something doesn’t cost seventy-five Rupees, instead you say the price is “Rupees seventy-five” and write it Rs75) I beg to disagree, but that is not correct. Saying the price as Rupees Seventy Five is uncommon, but is indeed the standard when **writing** out an amount. Out aloud, “This costs seventy five rupees” is the accepted norm. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/23 "2009-12-18T05:41:57Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > There is also the custom of writing two thousand dollars as $2M and three million as $3MM. It varies in several ways from other unit nomenclature. Okay, that’s confusing. I occasionally see the MM usage and I always think, "megamillion’. Which would be a trillion. ---
**Author:** ![Iridescent\_Orb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@Iridescent\_Orb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iridescent_Orb)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/24 "2009-12-18T05:52:44Z")
Regarding the percent sign, it is to the right of a number as it indicates _per 100_. Not too hard to see how 50/100 evolved to 50%. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/25 "2009-12-18T16:49:38Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > There is also the custom of writing two thousand dollars as $2M and three million as $3MM. It varies in several ways from other unit nomenclature. I have never seen that before. I me, $2M is two million, and $3MM is a typo for three million! $2K is two thousand. Where is your nomenclature used? Is it standard in some industries? ---
**Author:** ![Iridescent\_Orb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@Iridescent\_Orb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iridescent_Orb)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/26 "2009-12-19T18:21:59Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > I have never seen that before. I me, $2M is two million, and $3MM is a typo for three million! $2K is two thousand. Where is your nomenclature used? Is it standard in some industries? It is quite common in business / finance, and is used when writing currency amounts. It originates from the Roman numeral “M”, which means 1,000. I have always found it confusing, too, but when in Rome… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362/27 "2009-12-19T20:13:21Z")
> [@Napier](#): > > There is also the custom of writing two thousand dollars as $2M and three million as $3MM. It varies in several ways from other unit nomenclature. Huh? I have never seen this before. Anytime I have ever seen $2M written it’s stood for $2 million, as in “NYC apartment sells for $2M.” No one would think that meant $2,000. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-the-symbol-go-in-front-of-the-amount/521362.md?page=1)