Graphic symbols are often used as a shorthand for currency names. Internationally, ISO 4217 codes are used instead of currency signs, though currency signs may be in common use in their respective countries.

When writing currency amounts the location of the sign varies by currency. Many currencies locate it before the amount (e.g., £50.00); some after the amount (e.g., 50.00 S₣); and before they were abolished, the sign for the Portuguese Escudo and the French Franc were placed in the decimal position (i.e., 50$00 or 12F34). Although the defined placement of the euro sign by the European Commission is that (€) is placed before the amount, many countries which had their former currency sign placed in other positions continue to use the old position with the new currency.

Some currency symbols include:

• ¤ generic currency sign
• ฿ baht sign (used in Thailand)
• ¢ cent sign (a subdivision of dollars, euros and other currencies)
• colón sign (used in Costa Rica and in El Salvador)
• ₠ ECU sign (not widely used, and now historical; replaced by the euro)
• ₢ cruzeiro sign (formerly used in Brazil)
• $ dollar sign (also used for many other currencies in the Americas, such as the different pesos, and formerly for the Portuguese Escudo as the cifrão)
• ₯ drachma sign (formerly used in Greece)
• ₫ đong sign (used in Vietnam)
• € euro sign (used in participating European Union member countries (Eurozone), a few small non-EU European nations, and the regions of Kosovo and Montenegro)
• ₣ franc sign (formerly used in France. Most people preferred to write "FF" instead)
• ₴ Hryvnia sign (used in Ukraine)
• ₭ kip sign (used in Laos)
• ₤ lira sign (formerly used in Italy, San Marino and Vatican City, and currently sometimes in Malta)
• ₥ mill sign (one-tenth of a cent)
• ₦ naira sign (used in Nigeria)
• ₰ German penny (pfennig) sign
• ₧ peseta sign (formerly used in Spain and Andorra. Most people preferred to write "pts" instead .)
• ₱ peso sign (used in the Philippines)
• £ pound sign (also used for the lira)
• ៛ riel sign (Cambodia)
• ₨ rupee sign (used in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Mauritius)
• ৲ rupee mark (Bengal)
• ৳ rupee sign (Bengal)
• ₪ new sheqel sign (used in Israel)
• ₩ won sign (used in both Koreas)
• ₮ tugrik sign (used in Mongolia)
• ¥ yen sign (used in Japan and in China for the yuan)