¢
¢ Cent Sign
The cent sign (¢) marks a fraction of a dollar. Unlike $, it goes after the number: 50¢.
Also known as: cents sign, cent symbol, cents icon, penny symbol.
Codes
| Symbol | ¢ | |
| Unicode | U+00A2 | |
| HTML entity (named) | ¢ | |
| HTML entity (decimal) | ¢ | |
| HTML entity (hex) | ¢ | |
| CSS | \00A2 | |
| LaTeX | \textcent | |
| Windows Alt code | Alt + 0162 |
How to type ¢ (Cent Sign)
WindowsAlt + 0162
Hold Alt and type 0162 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Mac⌥ + 4
Press Option + 4 on the US layout.
Microsoft Word00A2, Alt + X
Type 00A2, then press Alt + X to convert it to ¢.
Google Docs
Insert → Special characters, then search “cent”.
LaTeX\textcent
Use \textcent from the textcomp package (loaded by default in modern LaTeX).
Usage
- The cent sign follows the amount, unlike the dollar sign which precedes it: 50¢, but $0.50. Never write both — $0.50¢ says half a cent.
- Style guides generally prefer $0.50 in formal and financial writing, and reserve 50¢ for prices, signage and informal use.
- Which one to use: ¢ (U+00A2) is the generic cent sign. ₵ (U+20B5) is the Ghana cedi — a completely different currency that merely resembles it. Do not substitute one for the other.
- There is no ¢ key on a US keyboard, which is why it is one of the most-searched Alt codes.