What is an ISO 4217 currency code?

ISO 4217 is the international standard that assigns each currency a unique three-letter code, such as USD for the US dollar or GBP for sterling. The first two letters usually match the country's ISO code and the third names the currency, which makes the code unambiguous even when symbols are shared.

Why do several currencies share the same symbol?

Symbols evolved regionally, so the dollar sign is used by the US, Canadian, Australian, Singapore, and many peso currencies, while ¥ serves both the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan. Because of this overlap, the ISO 4217 code is the reliable identifier rather than the glyph.

Where should the symbol go relative to the amount?

Placement is locale-specific: English locales write £20 or $20 before the number, while many European locales write 20 € after it. For software, format amounts with the user's locale settings rather than hard-coding the symbol position.

Is the symbol the same as the currency code?

No. The symbol is a typographic glyph for display, while the code is a fixed three-letter identifier for data and APIs. Store and transmit amounts with the ISO code and only render the symbol in the user interface.

Does this tool convert between currencies?

No, it is a reference for symbols and codes only and does not fetch exchange rates. Use a dedicated converter for live rates; this tool simply tells you which glyph and code belong to a currency.

Currency Symbol Reference

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What this tool is for

This is a quick reference that maps each major world currency to its symbol, its ISO 4217 three-letter code, and the main countries that use it. It is built for developers, finance teams, and writers who need the correct glyph or code without hunting through tables.

How it works

Each currency has two identifiers: a typographic symbol for display and an ISO 4217 code for data. The tool stores both alongside the currency name and the territories that use it, then filters the table as you type. A search matches any of those fields, so “naira”, “NGN”, ”₦”, or “Nigeria” all surface the same row.

Symbols are intentionally non-unique. The dollar sign covers the US, Canadian, Australian, Singapore, Hong Kong, and many Latin American peso currencies, and ¥ covers both the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan. That is why the ISO code is the value you should store and send in any system, with the symbol reserved for the screen.

Tips and notes

When formatting money in software, keep the amount and currency code together and render the symbol from the user’s locale. For example, the same EUR amount appears as €20 in Ireland and 20 € in France. For accounting, always persist the ISO code so figures stay machine-readable and unambiguous across regions.