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The euro ( symbol: €; currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the euro area or, more commonly, the eurozone.
1 day ago · USD – US Dollar. 1.00 Euro =. 1.08 75454 US Dollars. 1 USD = 0.919502 EUR. We use the mid-market rate for our Converter. This is for informational purposes only. You won’t receive this rate when sending money. Login to view send rates. Euro to US Dollar conversion — Last updated May 28, 2024, 17:01 UTC.
- Overview
- Design
- Rollout and usage
symbol
Also known as:
Written byAdam Volle
Adam Volle
Adam Volle is a freelance writer and editor based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Fact-checked byThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The sign is based on the uncial Greek epsilon (ε), the first letter in the Greek word for Europe and an homage to the importance of ancient Greek civilization to the European heritage. It is bisected by two horizontal pillars that signify stability. Each of the six tips on the symbol is cut at an angle. The sign’s placement in relation to monetary values varies according to language; the icon is placed in front of the value in English but behind the value in most European languages.
Design specifications for the euro sign.
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The precise process for choosing the euro sign and most of the individuals involved in it remain secrets of the European Commission, along with most of the designs that were not ultimately picked. However, some facts have been made known to the public. European Commission staff first selected some 30 designs that met the institution’s threefold criteria for the symbol: that it be simple to write by hand, similar to currency symbols already in use, and strongly suggestive of Europe. Ten of these designs were chosen by a committee, then presented in a public survey for feedback. One of the two most popular designs was then selected by a pair of Commission officials: Jacques Santer, president of the European Commission, and Yves-Thibault de Silguy, commissioner in charge of economic, monetary, and financial affairs. The final choice was presented to the world from Dublin, Ireland, on December 13, 1996.
Use of the euro design began on January 1, 1999, when the euro debuted as a virtual currency in financial markets and among certain businesses. On January 1, 2002, approximately 14.5 billion physical banknotes and 50 billion coins were released in Europe, making the icon one of the continent’s most common symbols. That same day the euro’s introduction was celebrated in the financial district of Frankfurt am Main, Germany with the lighting of the Euro-Skulptur (“euro sculpture”), a replica of the euro symbol that measures 14 metres (46 feet) high and weighs 50 tons. The large electronic sign, purchased for 350,000 euros from German artist Ottmar Hörl, is owned by the Frankfurt Culture Committee.
Since the euro was already a major currency even before it was physically coined, its symbol had to be made compatible for computing as soon as possible. In 1998 the European Commission offered suggestions for the placement of the new icon on computer keyboards, including the creation of a new physical key. The euro sign was added to the international character-encoding system Unicode in May 1998 with the hex code U+20AC. On standard English-language keyboards, the symbol became a special character accessible via modifier keys (e.g., using the combinations Ctrl + Alt + 4, Ctrl + Alt + 5, or Ctrl + Alt + E). On some European keyboards, the euro sign came to replace the dollar sign. On computers with number pads, users of any keyboard can type the symbol by typing 0128 on the number pad while pressing the Alt key.
The euro symbol holds the distinction of being the first copyrighted currency sign in the world. The design is owned by the European Commission in the name of the European Community. However, the EU Intellectual Property Office does register logos containing the euro symbol, as long as the full logos are different enough from the symbol to be easily told apart. Consequently, the emblem has appeared on countless images and items, from art installations to articles of clothing. In 2001 the foreign exchange company Travelex sued the European Commission for trademark infringement, asking for £25.5m in damages. Travelex claimed that the euro sign too closely resembled the logo that it had used since 1989 for its interpayment division. The Court of First Instance of the European Communities (renamed the General Court of the European Union in 2009) ruled against Travelex in April 2003.
Headquarters of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
The euro sign ( €) is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone and adopted, although not required to, by Kosovo and Montenegro. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon ), crossed by two lines instead of one. Depending on convention in each nation, the symbol can ...
Currency name. Euro. Currency symbol. € EUR exchange rates. Beware of bad exchange rates.Banks and traditional providers often have extra costs, which they pass to you by marking up the exchange rate. Our smart tech means we’re more efficient – which means you get a great rate. Every time. Compare exchange rates. Euro News.
- When was the euro introduced?The euro was launched on 1st January 1999. For the first three years the euro was used only for accounting and electronic payments. The general pub...
- Which countries use the euro?The euro is used in 19 of the EU’s 27 member countries - Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvi...
- How can I get the best EUR exchange rates?Different currency exchange services have different fees and exchange rates. Check out our EUR exchange rate comparison to find the best rate today.
- When was the euro at its highest?The value of the euro moves all the time depending on market demand. In 2008, the EUR reached its highest point against three major world currencie...
- What is the best way to send Euros?Using Wise is a fast and cheap way to send euros abroad. Wise converts your money at the live mid-market exchange rate, so you pay less. There's no...
The official spelling of the EUR currency unit is "euro", with a lower case "e"; however, the common industry practice is to spell it "Euro", with a capital "E".
Contents. hide. Beginning. References. Euro sign. The euro sign ( €) is the currency sign used for the euro. The euro is the official money of the Eurozone in the European Union (EU). The international three-letter code for the euro is EUR. [1] The old currencies that were replaced by the Euro was marks, pesetas, francs, lira, escudos and guilders.
