# Why isn't there a "cent" sign on the keyboard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 17, 2001, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104 "2001-06-17T07:03:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/1 "2001-06-17T07:03:36Z")
Why is there a $ but no cent? Who decides what goes on a keyboard? Is there an ISO standard or something? Can someone describe alternate keyboards of the past? (I know about Dvorak vs. Qwerty; I’m talking about which glyphs are or are not included). With a standard U.S. keyboard, you can make a hyphen but not a dash (neither em nor en). You can’t type letters with accents over them in one keystroke. You can’t type some simple math symbols like the “divided by” sign; you know, the line with a dot over and under it. These things don’t come up that often, but I have more occasion to make a dash than to use, for instance, @, #, ^, &, and \*. It just all seems so gosh-darned arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/2 "2001-06-17T10:15:50Z")
There is. If you have the keyboard with the keypad, use Alt0162. If you don’t have the keypad, use the character map. ¢ (I know it’s little and hard to read, but I swear that’s what it is.) As for why it’s not normally on the keyboard like the $ is? Probably because it’s not commonly used by your average typist. I rarely use it, and I play with nunmers all day. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/3 "2001-06-17T14:35:18Z")
All the codes can be found by running character map (if you’re using Windows). In Windows 98, it’s under **Start\>Programs\>Accessories\>System Tools\>Character Map** Alternately, see the thread [¡ ásçìï çöðès for Special Characters using PCs!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=959) ---
**Author:** ![Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Morrison\_s\_Lament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison_s_Lament)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/4 "2001-06-17T14:38:12Z")
Also, what key does what is simply a matter of configuration. I’ve switch from UK to US to Icelandic to Chinese layouts and they all have their differences. — G. Raven ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/5 "2001-06-17T15:05:56Z")
A history of the ASCII character set may be found here: [http://www.wps.com/texts/codes/](http://www.wps.com/texts/codes/) Bottom line - it WAS arbitrary, with many competing interests attempting to get their say as to what characters were important enough to be represented in the available seven bits (an 8 bit byte, with a parity bit left over). > [@](#): > > Additionally, in the late 50’s/early 60’s there was an explosion of “automatic” computer programming (eg. what were to become compilers and interpreters), and the designers of these wanted to use the rich, traditional set of mathematical symbols, as well as “my idea is bigger than your idea”, so there were many competing camps and clashing ideas on what characters should go into extremely cramped code sets (and small keyboards). ALGOL favored a large set, COBOL used common typewriter characters. Since the U.S. military vastly preferred COBOL (one of it’s major proponents was Grace Hopper, later Admiral Hopper), it won, since the military, the Army in particular, was heavily at the forefront of computer $tandardization ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/6 "2001-06-17T19:15:18Z")
¢ £ != ± 360º ™ ® © ÷ - – easy-scmeasy, what’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/7 "2001-06-17T19:16:56Z")
Oh yeah, on the Mac, you’d want to use the Keycaps control Panel. é ü ó á… sorry, it’s just soooooo much fun. heh. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/8 "2001-06-17T20:26:21Z")
The title line got chopped. I think I fixed it. If that’s not what you wanted, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![City\_Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@City\_Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/City_Gent)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/9 "2001-06-17T21:02:43Z")
Thanks, **Chronos** , for fixing the title. I know you can make all manner of oddball symbols with software access to the ASCII character set and other indirect methods. In fact, mathematical typesetting, in which one revels in the arcanities of matrices, integrals, summations, and indices, is a hobby of mine. What I was getting at in the OP is how the characters that are directly accessible by typing a single keystroke on a standard keyboard were decided upon. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/10 "2001-06-17T21:14:17Z")
I hate to over-generalize, but I would have to say it’s survival of the most-needed. You can do without a cent symbol because you can say $0.02. ---
**Author:** ![nickc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/47e85d/32.png) [@nickc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nickc)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/11 "2001-06-17T21:42:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KneadToKnow \* > \*\*I hate to over-generalize, but I would have to say it’s survival of the most-needed. You can do without a cent symbol because you can say $0.02. \*\* I agree, and find extended ASCII to be generally useless. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/12 "2001-06-17T21:48:02Z")
Inflation. My old Underwood had a cent key, but now that pennies are worthless, my Compaq has only a dollar key. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/13 "2001-06-17T23:16:37Z")
Just my $0.02 I think, as **KneadToKnow** pointed out, the cent key is redundant. But, in this age of global communication, I’d like to see on my keyboard £ and é at the very least. Maybe the Yen symbol too (dunno how to do that one 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/14 "2001-06-17T23:18:36Z")
And is there a _Euro_ symbol code yet? ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/15 "2001-06-18T00:15:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by City Gent \* > \*\*Thanks, **Chronos** , for fixing the title. > > I know you can make all manner of oddball symbols with software access to the ASCII character set and other indirect methods. In fact, mathematical typesetting, in which one revels in the arcanities of matrices, integrals, summations, and indices, is a hobby of mine. What I was getting at in the OP is how the characters that are directly accessible by typing a single keystroke on a standard keyboard were decided upon. \*\* The PC keyboard was intended to produce the 7 bit ASCII set, which is why I gave you the historical link I did. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/16 "2001-06-18T01:43:45Z")
The yen symbol: ¥ The Euro symbol has been adopted by the computer companies, but unless you have a relatively recent browser and OS (I don’t), it won’t show up for you. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/17 "2001-06-18T01:55:15Z")
In Word, Control-Slash-C will get you ¢. ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2001, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-there-a-cent-sign-on-the-keyboard/69104/18 "2001-06-18T11:05:03Z")
The Euro sign was includd in the ISO 8859 family, by creating codepage ISO-8859-15, where it replaces the “international currency sign” at position 0xA4 (dec 164) The cent is also in there at position 0xA2 (dec 162). I don’t know how well Windows supports ISO-8859-15, but with recent versions of X11 there are no problems. If your code pages are set up properly this would be: Euro sign : ? Cent sign : ¢ Everything will be much easier when we all use Unicode (ISO-10646) though…