Alt Code Shortcuts for Currency Symbols: Windows, Mac, Linux, Chromebook and HTML

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On Windows, the most dependable traditional currency-symbol Alt codes are:

• ¢ — Alt+0162
• £ — Alt+0163
• ¤ — Alt+0164
• ¥ — Alt+0165
• € — Alt+0128

Click in a text field, turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type the digits on the separate numeric keypad, and release Alt. The number row above the letters does not work for Microsoft’s documented Windows Alt-code method.

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For newer symbols such as the Indian rupee ₹, Turkish lira ₺, ruble ₽, lari ₾, and Bitcoin ₿, use a Unicode input method rather than assuming a decimal Alt+number sequence will work in every Windows application. In Word or Outlook, type the hexadecimal code and press Alt+X; elsewhere, use Windows’ Symbols panel, Character Map, or the application’s symbol picker.

Alt code, Unicode, Alt+X and HTML: what is the difference?

These terms are often mixed together, but they describe different systems:

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A Unicode code point tells software which character you mean. It does not, by itself, define a key combination. The available input method depends on the operating system, keyboard layout, application, text control, and installed fonts.

For the web, HTML character references are instructions in markup. Modern UTF-8 HTML can generally contain the literal symbol directly. Named or numeric references remain useful in source code and when a character is awkward to enter or could be confused with HTML syntax. See the WHATWG named character reference list and MDN’s character-reference explanation.

Windows currency-symbol Alt codes

How to type a traditional Windows Alt code

1. Click where you want the character to appear.
2. Turn on Num Lock if your keyboard requires it.
3. Hold down the Alt key.
4. Type the digits on the numeric keypad. Do not use the number row at the top of the keyboard.
5. Release Alt. The character should appear.

For the documented ANSI-style forms, use the leading zero. Thus, use Alt+0163 for £, not merely Alt+163; use Alt+0128 for €, not merely Alt+128. Shorter versions may happen to work in some Windows contexts, but four-digit forms are the safer standard examples.

Microsoft’s Windows keyboard guidance states that the numeric keypad and Num Lock are required for this method.

Common currency symbols on Windows

The dollar sign is already available on standard English-language keyboards, so pressing the $ key is simpler than using Alt+0036. Also remember that $ does not uniquely mean U.S. dollars; the same sign is used for several dollar- and peso-denominated currencies.

Microsoft’s Office character-code reference documents the common currency entries above. Its examples distinguish ASCII and Unicode input rather than treating every numeric value as the same kind of shortcut.

For newer currency symbols, use Unicode instead of a guessed Alt code

Symbols such as ₹ (Indian rupee), ₺ (Turkish lira), ₽ (ruble), ₾ (lari), and ₿ (Bitcoin) have Unicode code points, but that does not mean they have universally reliable Windows decimal Alt codes.

Do not assume that a Unicode decimal value is a universal Windows Alt code. For example, ₹ is U+20B9, which is decimal 8377, but Alt+8377 is not dependable across Windows applications. Legacy Alt-number input developed around code pages and can be interpreted differently by different controls. Microsoft developer documentation describes different behavior between default Windows input handling and RichEdit controls. See Raymond Chen’s explanation of Alt-number sequences and Microsoft’s code-page documentation.

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Word and Outlook: hexadecimal code plus Alt+X

In Microsoft Word or Outlook:

1. Type the hexadecimal Unicode code without the U+ prefix.
2. Press Alt+X.
3. The hexadecimal code changes into the corresponding character.

20AC + Alt+X → €
20B9 + Alt+X → ₹
20BA + Alt+X → ₺
20BD + Alt+X → ₽
20BF + Alt+X → ₿

If Word converts the wrong nearby text, select only the hexadecimal code before pressing Alt+X. The correct font must also contain a glyph for the character. Microsoft documents this method for Word and related Office contexts, but some Office programs may not support it; in that case, use Character Map or the Symbols panel.

Alt+X is an Office feature, not a universal Windows shortcut. A code that works in Word may do nothing in a browser, a chat application, a terminal, or another text editor.

Windows Symbols panel

For a quick graphical method in Windows, place the cursor in a text field and press Win+. (Windows key plus period). Select Symbols, then browse the categories or search for the symbol. Microsoft describes this panel in its Windows keyboard tips.

Windows Character Map

1. Search Windows for Character Map and open it.
2. Choose a font. The available characters depend on that font.
3. Select the desired character.
4. Click Select, then Copy.
5. Paste it into the destination application.

Character Map is especially useful for rare symbols, symbols outside the traditional Alt-code range, or applications that reject Alt-number input. Microsoft describes it as a built-in utility that displays characters available in a selected font and copies them to the clipboard.

Complete Unicode reference for currency symbols

The following is a Unicode reference, not a list of guaranteed Windows Alt-number shortcuts. Type these hexadecimal values with Word’s Alt+X method, Linux’s Unicode input method, or a compatible symbol picker.

Unicode 17.0 is the latest published Unicode Standard identified by the Unicode Consortium’s release pages in the research for this article. Unicode 17.0 was published on September 9, 2025. Support for newly added characters can lag on operating systems, applications, and fonts.

The code points and names come from the Unicode 17.0 Currency Symbols chart and Unicode Chapter 22.

Currency symbols outside the U+20A0–U+20CF block

Not every currency-related character is in Unicode’s Currency Symbols block. Important examples include:

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Unicode’s guidance is important here: a currency symbol does not always identify one specific currency, and a symbol may appear differently in different fonts. The Unicode discussion of currency symbols recommends three-letter ISO 4217 codes when precision matters.

Mac currency-symbol shortcuts

Mac computers do not use the Windows Alt-plus-numeric-keypad system. Mac combinations are generally Option shortcuts, and they depend on the active keyboard layout.

These are common examples for the standard U.S. Mac layout:

These are not universal Mac shortcuts. U.S., U.K., French, German, and other input sources assign different characters to Option combinations. To see the shortcuts for the active layout, open the input menu and choose Show Keyboard Viewer. Hold Option and then Shift to display the alternate characters. Apple explains this process in its Keyboard Viewer guide.

Mac Character Viewer

1. Press Fn/Globe+E, or choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols.
2. Search for the symbol by name or Unicode code.
3. Click the symbol to insert it.

Character Viewer is the best fallback for uncommon symbols or when the active keyboard layout does not provide a convenient Option combination. See Apple’s instructions for using emoji and symbols on Mac.

Linux and GNOME Unicode input

In GNOME applications and other Linux text fields that support the standard Unicode input method:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+U.
2. Type the hexadecimal code without U+.
3. Press Space or Enter.

Ctrl+Shift+U, 20AC, Space → €
Ctrl+Shift+U, 20B9, Space → ₹
Ctrl+Shift+U, 20BF, Space → ₿

GNOME also provides a Characters application for browsing and inserting symbols. The key sequence is common in GNOME/Linux text widgets, but it may not behave identically in every terminal, desktop environment, remote session, browser control, or application. See GNOME’s special-character instructions.

Chromebook currency symbols

ChromeOS has a built-in symbol picker:

1. Right-click in a text field and choose Emoji, or press Search+Shift+Space.
2. Choose Symbols.
3. Open the Currency category.
4. Choose the symbol, or search for it by name.

Google documents the Currency category in the Chromebook symbol picker. If you regularly type symbols from another language, you can also change the keyboard language or input method using Google’s Chromebook keyboard-language instructions.

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Google Docs and Google Slides

Google Docs and Slides include a symbol browser that does not require Windows Alt codes:

1. Open the document.
2. Choose Insert > Symbols > Special characters.
3. Search by category, Unicode value, or handwritten shape.
4. Click the character to insert it.

Google says special characters can be inserted directly in Docs and Slides, but not directly in Google Sheets. To use one in Sheets, insert it in Docs, copy it, and paste it into the spreadsheet. See Google Docs Editors Help.

HTML currency references for web developers

HTML character references belong in HTML source; they are not keyboard shortcuts. Each reference starts with &# for a numeric reference or & followed by a named reference.

For example, these HTML snippets all render the same pound sign:

£
£
£
£

Use the literal symbol in a UTF-8 HTML document when practical. Character references are most useful for source-code conventions, reserved syntax characters, or characters that are difficult to enter. Consult the WHATWG HTML specification or MDN for the broader reference system.

Which method should you use?

Troubleshooting currency-symbol shortcuts

The Alt code does nothing

Check these items in order:

1. Make sure the cursor is in an editable text field.
2. Use a separate numeric keypad, not the number row.
3. Turn on Num Lock.
4. Confirm that the application accepts Windows Alt-code input.
5. Check whether the application is intercepting the Alt key for a menu command.
6. Try Win+. or Character Map instead.

The laptop has no numeric keypad

Do not substitute the number row; it does not perform the documented Windows Alt-code method. Use one of these alternatives:

• Press Win+. and open Symbols.
• Use Character Map.
• Use Word or Outlook’s hexadecimal code plus Alt+X.
• Open an on-screen keyboard that provides a numeric keypad, if available on your Windows installation.
• Copy and paste the character.

Alt+8377 does not produce ₹

That result is expected in some applications. Decimal 8377 is the numeric value of Unicode code point U+20B9, but traditional Windows Alt-number input is not a universal Unicode-decimal entry system. Its behavior can depend on code pages and the receiving control.

In Word, use:

20B9 + Alt+X → ₹

In other Windows applications, use Character Map, Win+., or copy and paste.

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Alt+9731 is supposed to produce a snowman

Do not generalize decimal Unicode code points into Windows Alt codes. Microsoft’s explanation of Alt-number history notes that Alt+9731 can be interpreted according to code-page behavior rather than as the Unicode snowman, while some RichEdit controls handle the same sequence differently. The same limitation applies to currency values such as Alt+8377.

The Unicode symbol appears as a box

A box or missing-character mark usually means one of the following:

• The selected font does not contain the glyph.
• The application has limited Unicode support.
• The operating system or application uses an older font set.
• The character was added recently and the device has not caught up.

Try Character Map with another font, update the application or operating system, or test the character in a modern Unicode-aware application. Unicode reference glyphs are examples rather than mandatory designs, so the shape can also vary between fonts. Microsoft’s Office guidance specifically recommends checking the font when Alt+X does not produce the expected character.

The Mac shortcut is different

Check the active input source. Mac Option combinations vary by keyboard layout. Open the input menu, choose Show Keyboard Viewer, and press Option and Shift to see the characters available on the selected layout. Use Character Viewer for symbols that are not assigned to a key.

The shortcut works in Word but not in another program

That is normal for Alt+X: it is an Office feature, not a universal Windows command. Use Character Map, the Windows Symbols panel, or the destination application’s own insertion tool outside Office.

The symbol is ambiguous

A symbol is not always a precise currency identifier:

• $ can represent U.S. dollars, Canadian dollars, Australian dollars, pesos, and other currencies.
• £ can represent more than one pound currency.
• ¥ is used for both Japanese yen and Chinese yuan in Latin-script contexts.

For financial records, invoices, international transfers, or software data, use the three-letter ISO 4217 code when the currency must be unmistakable—for example, USD, CAD, JPY, or CNY. Unicode’s currency-symbol guidance makes the same distinction.

Quick reference: common currency symbols

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the number row instead of a numeric keypad for a Windows Alt code?

No. Microsoft’s documented Windows Alt-code method requires the separate numeric keypad. If your laptop has no keypad, use Win+. for the Symbols panel, Character Map, Word’s Alt+X method, an on-screen keyboard, or copy and paste.

Why does Alt+8377 not reliably produce the Indian rupee sign?

The decimal value 8377 identifies Unicode code point U+20B9, but traditional Windows Alt-number input is based on legacy code-page behavior and varies between applications and text controls. In Word or Outlook, type 20B9 and press Alt+X; elsewhere use a symbol picker or Character Map.

What should I use instead of a currency symbol when the exact currency matters?

Use the three-letter ISO 4217 currency code, such as USD, CAD, JPY, CNY, EUR, or INR. Symbols such as $, £, and ¥ can represent more than one currency.

The Bottom Line

Use Alt+0162, Alt+0163, Alt+0164, Alt+0165, or Alt+0128 for the familiar Windows currency symbols when you have a numeric keypad. For newer symbols, enter the Unicode hexadecimal value with Alt+X in Word or use the operating system’s symbol picker. Treat Unicode code points and HTML entities as encoding references—not universal keyboard shortcuts—and use ISO 4217 codes when a symbol could be ambiguous.

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