, also known as a
penny.]]
In many national
currencies, the
cent is a
monetary unit that equals
1⁄
100 of the basic monetary unit.
Etymologically, the word
cent derives from the
Latin word "centum" meaning
hundred.
Cent also refers to a
coin which is worth one cent.
In the United States and Canada, the 1¢ coin is generally known by the nickname penny, alluding to the British coin and unit of that name. In Ireland the 1c coin is sometimes known as a penny in reference to the Irish penny, worth 1/100 of the Irish pound replaced by the euro in 2002.
Symbol
Whereas the cent is a subdivision of certain dollars (abbreviated $; notably the
US and
Canadian dollars), a cent is represented by the
cent sign, a lower-case letter
c pierced top to bottom by a forward slash or a vertical line:
¢. Cent amounts between 1 cent and 99 cents can be represented as one or two digits followed by the appropriate abbreviation (2¢, 99¢, 2c, 99c), or as a subdivision of the base unit ($0.99). However, possibly because inflation has left very few things that cost less than the base unit, the usage of the cent symbol generally is on the decline.
For example, it has not survived the changeover from typewriters to computer keyboards (replaced by the caret), which still do provide the dollar symbol where it always has been. On Windows-based computers, Alt+0162 will create the cent sign; on Unix systems with a compose key, Compose+|+C is a typical sequence.
Usage of the cent symbol varies from one currency to another. In the United States and Canada, the usage ¢ is more common, while in Australia, New Zealand and the Eurozone, the c is more common. In South Africa and Ireland, only the c is ever used.
When written, the cent sign (¢ or c) follows the amount, versus a larger currency symbol placed at the beginning of the amount. For example 2¢ and $0.02, or 2c and €0.02.
Usage
Mints all over the world usually create coins with values up to between the equivalent of 0.05 - 5
U.S. dollars, while reserving
banknotes for higher values. As
inflation lowers the value of currencies, many have replaced the lowest-valued banknotes with coins (
Canadian dollar,
Australian dollar,
pound sterling), removed the lowest-valued coins from circulation, and/or introduced higher-valued bills. The U.S. dollar is a notable holdout, using a $1 bill along with a (less-popular) coin, where nearly all other industrialized nations use solely a coin for the approximate equivalent value.
Other monetary unit subdivision systems are possible, such as the British pound sterling, which until decimalisation in 1971 was subdivided into 20 shillings (s), of 12 old pence (d) each, making a pound equivalent to 240 pence.
Examples of currencies around the world featuring centesimal (1/100) units called cent, or related words from the same root such as céntimo, centésimo, centavo or sen, are:
Argentine peso (as centavo)
Aruban florin
Australian dollar
Barbadian dollar
Bahamian dollar
Belize dollar
Bermudian dollar
Brazilian real (as centavo)
Brunei dollar (as sen)
Bulgarian lev (as stotinka, Bulgarian: стотинка, "hundredth", from the same PIE root as centum)
Canadian dollar (as sou or cenne in French-Canadian)
Cayman Islands dollar
Cuban peso (as centavo)
East Caribbean dollar
Eritrean nakfa
Estonian kroon (as sent)
Euro - 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. Actual usage varies depending on language.
Fijian dollar
Guyanese dollar
Hong Kong dollar
Indonesian rupiah (as sen)
Jamaican dollar
Kenyan shilling
Liberian dollar
Lithuanian litas (as centas)
Malaysian ringgit (as sen)
Mauritian rupee
Mexican peso (as centavo)
Namibian dollar
Netherlands Antillean gulden
New Zealand dollar
Panamanian balboa (as centésimo)
Philippine peso (as centavo)
Seychellois rupee
Sierra Leonean leone
Singapore dollar
South African rand
Sri Lankan rupee
Surinamese dollar
Swazi lilangeni
New Taiwan dollar
Tanzanian shilling
Trinidad and Tobago dollar
Ugandan shilling
United States dollar
Uruguayan peso (as centésimo)
Zimbabwean dollar
Examples of currencies featuring centesimal (1/100) units not called cent
British pound - divided in 100 pence
Croatian kuna - divided into 100 lipa
Czech koruna - divided into 100 haléřů (sg.: haléř)
Danish krone - divided into 100 øre
Indian rupee - divided into 100 paise
Israeli new shekel - divided into 100 agorot
Macedonian denar - divided into 100 deni
Norwegian krone - divided into 100 øre
Pakistani rupee - divided into 100 paise
Polish złoty - divided into 100 groszy
Romanian leu - divided into 100 bani
Russian ruble - divided into 100 kopeks
Serbian dinar - divided into 100 paras
Slovak koruna - divided into 100 halierov (sg.: halier)
Swedish krona - divided into 100 öre
Swiss franc - divided into 100 rappen
Thai baht - divided into 100 satang
United Arab Emirates Dirham - divided into 100 fils
Ukrainian hrywnia - divided into 100 kopijkas.
Examples of currencies which do not feature centesimal (1/100) units:
Japanese yen - no fractional denomination in circulation, formerly divided into 100 sen and 1000 rin.
Kuwaiti dinar - divided into 1000 fils
Mauritanian ouguiya - divided into 5 khoums
Malagasy ariary - divided into 5 iraimbilanja
Examples of currencies which use the cent symbol for other purpose:
Costa Rican colón - The common symbol '¢ ' is frequently used locally to represent '₡', the proper colón designation
External links
U.S. Cent information by year and type. Histories, photos, mintages, mints, metal contents, edge designs, designers, and more.
References
