Design
Older currency signs have evolved slowly, often from previous currencies. The dollar and peso signs originated from the mark employed to denote the Spanish real de a ocho, whereas the pound and lira signs evolved from an L standing for libra, a Roman pound of silver. Newly invented currencies and currencies adopting new signs have symbolism closer to their adopter. The added center bar in the euro sign is meant to symbolize stability. The new Indian rupee symbol, is a stylized combination of Latin and Devanagari letters.
There are also other considerations, such as the perception of the business community and how the sign is rendered on computers. For a new symbol to be used, software to render it needs to be promulgated and keyboards need to be altered or shortcuts added to type the icon. The EU was criticized for not considering how the euro sign would need to be customized to work in different fonts. The original design was also exceptionally wide. These two factors have led to most typefaces employing customized, font-specific versions, usually with reduced width.
Read more about this topic: Currency Sign
Famous quotes containing the word design:
“Teaching is the perpetual end and office of all things. Teaching, instruction is the main design that shines through the sky and earth.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“A good scientist is a person with original ideas. A good engineer is a person who makes a design that works with as few original ideas as possible. There are no prima donnas in engineering.”
—Freeman Dyson (b. 1923)
“To nourish children and raise them against odds is in any time, any place, more valuable than to fix bolts in cars or design nuclear weapons.”
—Marilyn French (20th century)