Re: [OT] When is a character a currency sign?

From: Anto'nio Martins-Tuva'lkin (antonio@tuvalkin.web.pt)
Date: Sat Jul 12 2003 - 16:54:27 EDT

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    On 2003.07.08, 01:34, Philippe Verdy <verdy_p@wanadoo.fr> wrote:

    > With the Euro, a lot of currency units lost their symbol:
    >
    > - the Spanish Peseta symbol
    > - the Pound symbol in Ireland <...>
    > - the Greek Drachme symbol <...>
    > - the Italian Lira symbol <...>
    > - the "French Franc" symbol <...>

    The symbol "$" represents the former portuguese currency "_escudo_",
    PTE, used as the decimal point of a number with (usually) two fixed
    decimals: 100 PTE, f.i., was/is written 100$00. Before the _escudo_,
    untill 1911, the "_real_" (atyp. pl. "_reis_") was written with the
    symbol "$" as the thousands separator, like this: one _real_ = $001.
    This kept the writing in pace as the 1911 monetary reform created the
    _escudo_ from 1000 _reis_ (which was coloquial synomin till recently).
    Thus 1$000 (1000 _reis_) and 1$00 (one _escudo_) was written in a
    coherent way.

    This symbol is called in Portuguese "_cifrão_", and most people don't
    really know that it is also used for other currencies abroad.

    Cape Verde and East Timor also have monetary units called "_escudo_"
    with more or less the same writing conventions.

    -- ____.
    António MARTINS-Tuválkin, | ()|
    <antonio@tuvalkin.web.pt> |####|
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