The cent is a

monetary Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are: med ...

unit Unit may refer to: General measurement * Unit of measurement, a definite magnitude of a physical quantity, defined and adopted by convention or by law **International System of Units (SI), modern form of the metric system **English units, histo ...

of many national

currencies A currency is a standardization of money in any form, in use or currency in circulation, circulation as a medium of exchange, for example banknotes and coins. A more general definition is that a currency is a ''system of money'' in common use wi ...

that equals a

hundredth In arithmetic, a hundredth is a single part of something that has been divided equally into a hundred parts. For example, a hundredth of 675 is 6.75. In this manner it is used with the prefix "centi-" such as in centimeter. A hundredth is also one ...

() of the basic monetary unit. The word derives from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, '

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numerals, Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 (number), 99 and preceding 101 (number), 101. In mathematics 100 is the square of 10 (number), 10 (in scientific notation it is written as 102). The standar ...

'. The cent sign is commonly a simple

minuscule Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (more formally '' minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing system ...

(lower case) letter . In North America, the c is crossed by a diagonal or vertical

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

(depending on

typeface A typeface (or font family) is a design of Letter (alphabet), letters, Numerical digit, numbers and other symbols, to be used in printing or for electronic display. Most typefaces include variations in size (e.g., 24 point), weight (e.g., light, ...

), yielding the character . The United States one cent coin is generally known by the nickname "

penny A penny is a coin (: pennies) or a unit of currency (: pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. At present, it is ...

", alluding to the British coin and unit of that name. Australia ended production of their 1c coin in 1990, New Zealand last produced their 1c coin in 1988, as did Canada in 2012. Some

Eurozone The euro area, commonly called the eurozone (EZ), is a Monetary union, currency union of 20 Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (Euro sign, €) as their primary currency ...

countries ended production of the

1 euro cent coin The 1 euro cent coin (€0.01) has a value of one hundredth of a euro and is composed of copper-covered steel. It is the lowest-value coin in the Eurozone; the next lowest are the 2 euro cent coin, 2 and 5 euro cent coins. All euro coins have a ...

, most recently Slovakia in 2022.

Symbol

The cent may be represented by the cent sign, written in various ways according to the national convention and

font In metal typesetting, a font is a particular size, weight and style of a ''typeface'', defined as the set of fonts that share an overall design. For instance, the typeface Bauer Bodoni (shown in the figure) includes fonts " Roman" (or "regul ...

choice. Most commonly seen forms are a minuscule letter ''c'' crossed by a diagonal

, a vertical line, a simple ''c'', depending on the currency (''see

below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor * Bottom (disambiguation) *Less than *Temperatures below freezing *Hell or underworld People with the surname * Ernst von Below (1863–1955), German World War I general * Fred Belo ...

''). Cent amounts from 1 to 99 can be represented as one or two digits followed by the appropriate abbreviation (2¢, 5c, 75¢, 99c), or as a subdivision of the base unit ($0.75, €0.99). In some countries, longer abbreviations like "ct." are used. Languages that use other alphabets have their own abbreviations and conventions. The cent symbol has largely fallen into disuse since the mid-20th century as inflation has resulted in very few things being priced in cents in any currency. It was included on US

typewriter keyboard A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectively a ...

s, but has not been adopted on computers.

North American cent sign

The cent sign appeared as the shift of the 6 keys on American manual typewriters, but the freestanding circumflex on computer keyboards has taken over that position.

Orthography

When written in English and Mexican Spanish, the cent sign (¢ or c) follows the amount (with no space between)for example, 2¢ and $0.02, or 2c and €0.02. Conventions in other languages may vary.

Usage

Minor currency units called ''cent'' or similar names

Examples of currencies around the world featuring centesimal () units called ''cent'', or related words from the same root such as ''

céntimo The céntimo (in Spanish-speaking countries) or cêntimo (in Portuguese-speaking countries) was a currency unit of Spain, Portugal and their former colonies. The word derived from the Latin centésimo Centesimo (; : ''centesimi''; ; : ''centésimos'') is a currency unit equivalent to cent, derived from the Latin ''centesimus'' meaning "hundredth". In Italy it was the division of the Italian lira. Currencies that have centesimo as subunits in ...

'', ''

centavo The centavo (Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese 'one hundredth') is a fractional monetary unit that represents one hundredth of a basic monetary unit in many countries around the world. The term comes from Latin ''centu ...

'' or ''sen'', are: * Argentine peso (as ''centavo'') *

Aruban florin The florin (; abbreviation: Afl.; ISO 4217, code: AWG) or Aruban guilder is the currency of Aruba. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The florin was introduced in 1986, replacing the Netherlands Antillean guilder at par. The Aruba currency exchang ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents. *

Australian dollar The Australian dollar (currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: AUD; also abbreviated A$ or sometimes AU$ to distinguish it from other dollar, dollar-denominated currencies; and also referred to as the dollar or Aussie dollar) is the official ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents. * Barbadian dollar * Bahamian dollar, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents. * Belize dollar *

Bermudian dollar The Bermudian dollar (symbol: $; code: BMD; also abbreviated BD$; informally called the Bermuda dollar) is the official currency of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is subdivided into 100 cents. The Bermudian dollar is not n ...

Bolivian boliviano The boliviano (; currency sign, sign: BsBanco Central de Bolivia. "Galeria de monedas y billetes''." Accessed 26 February 2011.Banco Central de BoliviaOfficial websiteAccessed 26 February 2011. ISO 4217 code: BOB) is the currency of Bolivia. It ...

(as ''centavo''), but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 centavos *

Brazilian real The Brazilian real (plural, pl. '; currency symbol, sign: R$; ISO 4217, code: BRL) is the official currency of Brazil. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. The Central Bank of Brazil is the central bank and the issuing authority. The real repl ...

(as ''centavo'') *

Brunei dollar The Brunei dollar (currency sign, sign: B$, Malay language, Malay: ''ringgit Brunei'', ISO 4217, currency code: ''BND''), has been the currency of Brunei, the Sultanate of Brunei since 1967. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, ...

(as ''sen'') *

Cambodian riel The riel (; ; sign: ៛; code: KHR) is the currency of Cambodia. There have been two distinct riel, the first issued between 1953 and May 1975. Between 1975 and 1980, the country had no monetary system. A second currency, also named "riel", h ...

(as ''sen'') *

Canadian dollar The Canadian dollar (currency symbol, symbol: $; ISO 4217, code: CAD; ) is the currency of Canada. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $. There is no standard disambiguating form, but the abbreviations Can$, CA$ and C$ are frequently used f ...

Cayman Islands dollar The Cayman Islands Dollar ( currency code ''KYD'') is the currency of the Cayman Islands. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign ''$'', or alternatively ''CI$'' to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 1 ...

Chilean peso The peso is the currency of Chile. The current peso has circulated since 1975, with a Chilean peso (1817–1960), previous version circulating between 1817 and 1960. Its symbol is defined as a letter S with either one or two vertical bars super ...

(as ''centavo''). Centavos officially exist and are considered in financial transactions, but there are no current centavo-denominated coins. *

Colombian peso The Colombian peso (currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: COP) is the currency of Colombia. Its ISO 4217 code is ''COP''. The official sign is $, with ''Col$''. also being used to distinguish it from other peso- and dollar-denominated currencie ...

(as ''centavo'') *

Cook Islands dollar The Cook Islands dollar is the current currency of the Cook Islands, which is used alongside the New Zealand dollar. The dollar is subdivided into 100 '' cents'', with some older 50-cent coins carrying the denomination as "50 ''tene''". History ...

(''cent'', although some 50 cent coins are marked "50 ''tene''") *

Cuban peso The Cuban peso ( in Spanish language, Spanish, ISO 4217 code: CUP) also known as (Spanish for 'national currency'), is the official currency of Cuba. The Cuban peso historically circulated at par with the Spanish dollar, Spanish-American silver ...

(as ''centavo'') *

East Caribbean dollar The Eastern Caribbean dollar (currency symbol, symbol: EC$; ISO 4217, code: XCD) is the currency of all seven full members and one associate member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The successor to the British West Indies d ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents. *

Eritrean nakfa The nakfa (ISO 4217 code: ''ERN''; ''naḳfa'', or or نقفة ''nākfā'') is the currency of Eritrea and was introduced on 15 November 1997 to replace the Ethiopian birr at par. The currency takes its name from the Eritrean town of Nakfa, Eri ...

Estonian kroon The kroon (sign: KR; code: EEK) was the official currency of Estonia for two periods in history: 1928–1940 and 1992–2011. Between 1 January and 14 January 2011, the kroon circulated together with the euro, after which the euro became the sole ...

(as ''sent'') * Ethiopian birr (as ''santim'') *

Euro The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...

– the coins bear the text "euro cent". Greek coins have ΛΕΠΤΟ (" lepto") on the obverse of the one-cent coin and ΛΕΠΤΑ ("lepta") on the obverse of the others. The actual

usage The usage of a language is the ways in which its written and spoken variations are routinely employed by its speakers; that is, it refers to "the collective habits of a language's native speakers", as opposed to idealized models of how a languag ...

varies depending on the language. *

Fijian dollar The Fijian dollar (currency sign: FJ$, $; currency code: FJD) has been the currency of Fiji since 1969 and was also the currency between 1867 and 1873. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively FJ$ to distinguish it ...

* Guyanese dollar, but there are no circulating coins with a value below one dollar. *

Hong Kong dollar The Hong Kong dollar (, sign: HK$; code: HKD) is the official currency of Hong Kong. It is divided into 100 cents. Historically, it was also divided into 1000 mils. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority is the monetary authority of Hong Kong an ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 cents. *

Indonesian rupiah The rupiah (Currency symbol, symbol: Rp; ISO 4217, currency code: IDR) is the official currency of Indonesia, issued and controlled by Bank Indonesia. Its name is derived from the Sanskrit word for silver, (). Sometimes, Indonesians also inform ...

(as ''sen;'' last coin minted was 50 cents in 1961, last cents printed as banknotes in 1964 which were demonetized in 1996 save for the 1 cent) *

Jamaican dollar The Jamaican dollar (sign: $; code: JMD) has been the currency of Jamaica since 1969. It is often abbreviated to J$, the J serving to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is divided into 100 cents, although cent denom ...

, but there are no circulating coins with a value below one dollar. *

Kenyan shilling The shilling (; abbreviation: KSh; ISO 4217, ISO code: KES) is the currency of Kenya. It is divided into 100 cents. The Central Bank of Kenya Act cap 491, mandated the printing and minting of the Kenyan shilling currency. Notation Prices in ...

Lesotho loti The loti (plural: maloti) is the currency of the Kingdom of Lesotho. It is subdivided into 100 '' sente'' (pl. ''lisente''). It is pegged to the South African rand on a 1:1 basis through the Common Monetary Area, and both are accepted as legal te ...

(as ''sente'') * Liberian dollar *

Lithuanian litas The Lithuanian litas (ISO 4217, ISO currency code LTL, symbolized as Lt; plural ''litai'' (nominative) or ''litų'' (genitive) was the currency of Lithuania, until 1 January 2015, when it was replaced by the euro. It was divided into 100 Cent ...

(as ''centas'') *

Macanese pataca The Macanese pataca or Macau pataca ( zh, t=澳門元, cy=Oumún yùhn; ; sign: MOP$; ISO code: MOP) is the currency of Macau. It is subdivided into 100 ''avos'' (; ''sin''), with 10 avos called ''ho'' () in Cantonese. Macau has a currency ...

(as ''avo''), but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 avos. *

Malaysian ringgit The Malaysian ringgit (; plural: ringgit; symbol: RM; currency code: MYR; Malay name: ''Ringgit Malaysia''; formerly the Malaysian dollar) is the currency of Malaysia. Issued by the Central Bank of Malaysia, it is divided into 100 cents ( M ...

(as ''sen''), but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 sen. *

Mauritian rupee The Mauritian rupee (Currency symbol, sign: Re (singular) and Rs (plural); ISO 4217, ISO code: MUR; ) is the currency of Mauritius. One rupee is subdivided into 100 cents. Several other currencies are also called rupee. Coins In 1877, coins for ...

Mexican peso The Mexican peso (Currency symbol, symbol: $; ISO 4217, currency code: MXN; also abbreviated Mex$ to distinguish it from peso, other peso-denominated currencies; referred to as the peso, Mexican peso, or colloquially varo) is the official curre ...

(as ''centavo'') *

Moroccan dirham The Moroccan dirham (, ; Currency symbol, sign: DH; code: MAD) is the official monetary currency of Morocco. It is issued by the Bank Al-Maghrib, the central bank of Morocco. One Moroccan dirham is subdivided into 100 ''santimat'' (singular: santi ...

(as ''santim'') *

Namibian dollar The Namibia dollar (currency symbol, symbol: $ or N$; ISO 4217, code: NAD) has been the currency of Namibia since 1993. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign ($), or alternatively N$ to distinguish it from other currencies called “d ...

Netherlands Antillean guilder The Netherlands Antillean guilder (; ) is a currency of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, which until 2010 formed the Netherlands Antilles along with Bonaire, Saba (island), Saba, and Sint Eustatius. It is subdivided into 100 ''cents'' (Dutch plural: ' ...

New Zealand dollar The New Zealand dollar (; currency sign, sign: $; ISO 4217, code: NZD) is the official currency and legal tender of New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, the Ross Dependency, Tokelau, and a British territory, the Pitcairn Islands. Within New Zeal ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 cents. *

Panamanian balboa The balboa (sign: B/.; ISO 4217: PAB) is, along with the United States dollar, one of the official currencies of Panama. It is named in honor of the Spanish explorer and conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa. The balboa is subdivided into 100 ''c ...

(as ''centésimo'') *

Peruvian sol The sol (; plural: soles; currency sign: S/) is the currency of Peru; it is subdivided into 100 ''céntimos'' ("cents"). The ISO 4217 currency code is PEN. The sol replaced the Peruvian inti in 1991 and the name is a return to that of Peru's h ...

(as ''céntimo'') * Philippine peso (as ''sentimo'' or ''centavo'') *

Seychellois rupee The rupee is the currency of the Seychelles. It is subdivided into 100 ''cents''. In the local Seychellois Creole (Seselwa) language, it is called the ''roupi''. The ISO code is SCR. The abbreviation SR is sometimes used for distinction. By pop ...

* Sierra Leonean leone *

Singapore dollar The Singapore dollar (currency sign, sign: S$; ISO 4217, code: SGD) is the official currency of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cent (currency), cents (, , ). It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents. *

South African rand The South African rand, or simply the rand, (currency sign, sign: R; ISO 4217, code: ZAR) is the official currency of South Africa. It is subdivided into 100 Cent (currency), cents (sign: "c"), and a comma separates the rand and cents. The Sou ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 cents. *

Sri Lankan rupee The Sri Lankan rupee (, ; Currency symbol, symbol: ₨ in English, රු in Sinhala, ௹ in Tamil; ISO 4217, ISO code: LKR), known until 1972 as the Ceylon rupee, is the currency of Sri Lanka. It is subdivided into 100 cent (currency), cents (, ...

Surinamese dollar The Surinamese dollar (ISO 4217 code ''SRD'') has been the currency of Suriname since 2004. It is divided into 100 '' cent''. The Surinamese dollar is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign ''$'', or alternatively ''Sr$'' to distinguish it fro ...

Swazi lilangeni The lilangeni (plural: emalangeni, ISO 4217 code: ''SZL'') is the currency of Eswatini and is subdivided into 100 cents. It is issued by the Central Bank of Eswatini (in swazi ''Umntsholi Wemaswati'') and is authorised by the king and his family. ...

New Taiwan dollar The New Taiwan dollar (code: TWD; symbol: NT$, also abbreviated as NT), or simply the Taiwan dollar, is the official currency of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Usually, the $ sign precedes the amount, but NT$ is used to distinguish from othe ...

, but all circulating coins are in multiples of 50 cents. *

Tanzanian shilling The shilling (Swahili language, Swahili: ''shilingi''; abbreviation: TSh; ISO 4217, code: TZS) is the currency of Tanzania. It is subdivided into 100 ''cents'' (''senti'' in Swahili). The Tanzanian shilling replaced the East African shilling on ...

Tongan paʻanga The paʻanga is the currency of Tonga. It is controlled by the National Reserve Bank of Tonga (''Pangikē Pule Fakafonua ʻo Tonga'') in Nukuʻalofa. The paʻanga is not convertible and is pegged to a basket of currencies comprising the Austral ...

(as ''seniti'') *

Trinidad and Tobago dollar The Trinidad and Tobago dollar ( currency code TTD) is the currency of Trinidad and Tobago. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively TT$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided int ...

United States dollar The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

Uruguayan peso Uruguayan peso () has been a name of the Uruguayan currency since Uruguay's settlement by Europeans. The present currency, the ''peso uruguayo'' (ISO 4217 code: ) was adopted in 1993 and is subdivided into 100 '' centésimos'', although centé ...

(as ''centésimo'') *

Zimbabwean ZiG The Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG; code: ZWG) is the official currency of Zimbabwe since 8 April 2024, backed by US$629 million worth of hard assets: foreign currencies, gold, and other precious metals. It replaced the Zimbabwean dollar, which suffered fro ...

Minor currency units with other names

Examples of currencies featuring centesimal () units not called ''cent''

Obsolete centesimal currency units

Examples of currencies which formerly featured centesimal () units but now have no fractional denomination in circulation:

References

{{Authority control Denominations (currency) Currency symbols

Symbol

North American cent sign

Orthography

Usage

Minor currency units called ''cent'' or similar names

Minor currency units with other names

Obsolete centesimal currency units

See also

References