View source for Cent (currency)

{{Short description|Monetary unit in many national currencies}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2022}}
[[File:US One Cent Obv.png |right|thumb|upright 0.5|A United States one-cent coin, also known as a [[Penny (United States coin)|penny]].]]

The '''cent''' is a [[money|monetary]] [[Units of measurement|unit]] of many national [[currency|currencies]] that equals a [[hundredth]] ({{frac|100}}) of the basic monetary unit. The word derives from the [[Latin]] {{lang|la|centum}}, '[[100 (number)|hundred]]'.

The '''cent sign''' is commonly a simple [[Letter case|minuscule]] (lower case) letter {{char|c}}. In North America, the c is crossed by a diagonal or vertical [[Bar (diacritic)|stroke]] (depending on [[typeface]]), yielding the character {{char|¢}}.

The [[Penny (United States coin)|United States one cent coin]] is generally known by the nickname "[[penny]]", alluding to the [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|British coin]] and unit of that name. Australia ended production of [[Australian one-cent coin|their 1¢ coin]] in 1992, [[Penny (Canadian coin)|as did Canada]] in 2012. Some [[Eurozone]] countries ended production of the [[1 euro cent coin]], most recently Slovakia in 2022.<ref>{{cite web|first1=|last1=|access-date=31 December 2023|title=Po 1. júli 2022 budú končiť na Slovensku jedno a dvojcentové mince |url=https://www.bystricoviny.sk/spravy/po-1-juli-2022-budu-koncit-na-slovensku-jedno-a-dvojcentove-mince/|date=29 May 2017|website=www.bystricoviny.sk|language=sk}}</ref>

==Symbol==
{{Redirect|¢|the musical symbol|cut time}}
{{Infobox currency sign
|mark = ¢ c
|currency = various
|unicode = {{unichar|00A2|cent sign|html=}}<br />{{unichar|0063|Latin small letter c|html=}}
|see also = {{unichar|FFE0|Fullwidth cent sign|html=}}
}}
The cent may be represented by the cent sign, written in various ways according to the national convention and [[font]] choice. Most commonly seen forms are a [[Letter case|minuscule letter]] ''c'' crossed by a diagonal [[Bar (diacritic)|stroke]], a vertical line, a simple ''c'', depending on the currency (''see [[#Usage|below]]''). Cent amounts from 1 to 99 can be represented as one or two digits followed by the appropriate abbreviation (2¢, 5c, 75¢, 99c), or as a subdivision of the base unit ($0.75, €0.99). In some countries, longer abbreviations like "ct." are used. Languages that use other alphabets have their own abbreviations and conventions.

The cent symbol has largely fallen into disuse since the mid-20th century as inflation has resulted in very few things being priced in cents in any currency. It was included on US [[typewriter keyboard]]s, but has not been adopted on computers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Demise of the ¢ Sign |last=Anderson |first=Charlie |website=charlieanderson.com |date=13 November 2003 |url=http://www.charlieanderson.com/centsign.htm |access-date=22 August 2022 |archive-date=22 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220822162942/http://www.charlieanderson.com/centsign.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===North American cent sign===
The cent sign appeared as the shift of the 6 keys on American manual typewriters, but the [[circumflex#Freestanding circumflex|freestanding circumflex]] on computer keyboards has taken over that position. The character (offset 162) can still be created in most common [[code page]]s, including [[Unicode]] and [[Windows-1252]]:
* On DOS- or Windows-based computers with a numeric keypad, {{key press|[[Alt key|Alt]]}} can be held while typing {{key press|0|1|6|2|chain=}} or {{key press|1|5|5|chain=}} on the keypad. See {{section link|Unicode_input#In_Microsoft_Windows}} for techniques involving the hexadecimal [[code point]] {{code|A2}} that can be used when there is no numeric keypad, as on many laptops. For the US International keyboard {{Keypress|Right Alt|Shift|C|chain=}} can be typed.
* On Mac systems, {{key press|[[Option key|Option]]}} can be held and {{key press|4}} on the number row pressed.
* On Unix/Linux systems with a [[compose key]], {{key press|Compose|{{!}}|C}} and {{key press|Compose|/|C}} are typical sequences.

===Orthography===
When written in English and Mexican Spanish, the cent sign (¢ or c) follows the amount (with no space between){{mdash}}for example, 2¢ and $0.02, or 2c and €0.02. Conventions in other languages may vary.

==Usage==
{{Coin image box 1 double
| header = [[East India Company]] half cent (1845).
| image = File:Half cents (1845).jpg
| caption_left = '''Obverse''': Crowned head left with lettering [[Queen Victoria]]
| caption_right = '''Reverse''': Face value, year and "[[East India Company]]" inscribed inside [[wreath]].
| width = 250
| footer = 18,737,498 coins minted in 1845.
| position = right
| margin = 0
}}

===Minor currency units called ''cent'' or similar names===
Examples of currencies around the world featuring centesimal ({{frac|1|100}}) units called ''cent'', or related words from the same root such as ''[[céntimo]]'', ''[[centesimo|centésimo]]'', ''[[centavo]]'' or ''sen'', are:

* [[Argentine peso]] (as ''centavo'')
* [[Aruban florin]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents.
* [[Australian dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents.
* [[Barbadian dollar]]
* [[Bahamian dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents.
* [[Belize dollar]]
* [[Bermudian dollar]]
* [[Bolivian boliviano]] (as ''centavo''), but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 centavos
* [[Brazilian real]] (as ''centavo'')
* [[Brunei dollar]] (as ''sen'')
* [[Cambodian riel]] (as ''sen'')
* [[Canadian dollar]]
* [[Cayman Islands dollar]]
* [[Chilean peso]] (as ''centavo''). Centavos officially exist and are considered in financial transactions, but there are no current centavo-denominated coins.
* [[Colombian peso]] (as ''centavo'')
* [[Cook Islands dollar]] (''cent'', although some 50 cent coins are marked "50 ''tene''")
* [[Cuban peso]] (as ''centavo'')
* [[East Caribbean dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents.
* [[Eritrean nakfa]]
* [[Estonian kroon]] (as ''sent'')
* [[Ethiopian birr]] (as ''santim'')
* [[Euro]]&nbsp;– the coins bear the text "euro cent". Greek coins have ΛΕΠΤΟ ("[[Greek lepton|lepto]]") on the obverse of the one-cent coin and ΛΕΠΤΑ ("lepta") on the obverse of the others. The actual [[Linguistic issues concerning the euro|usage]] varies depending on the language.
* [[Fijian dollar]]
* [[Guyanese dollar]], but there are no circulating coins with a value below one dollar.
* [[Hong Kong dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 cents.
* [[Indonesian rupiah]] (as ''sen;'' last coin minted was 50 cents in 1961, last cents printed as banknotes in 1964 which were demonetized in 1996 save for the 1 cent)
* [[Jamaican dollar]], but there are no circulating coins with a value below one dollar.
* [[Kenyan shilling]]
* [[Lesotho loti]] (as ''sente'')
* [[Liberian dollar]]
* [[Lithuanian litas]] (as ''centas'')
* [[Macanese pataca]] (as ''avo''), but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 avos.
* [[Malaysian ringgit]] (as ''sen''), but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 sen.
* [[Mauritian rupee]]
* [[Mexican peso]] (as ''centavo'')
* [[Moroccan dirham]] (as ''santim'')
* [[Namibian dollar]]
* [[Netherlands Antillean guilder]]
* [[New Zealand dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 cents.
* [[Panamanian balboa]] (as ''centésimo'')
* [[Peruvian sol]] (as ''céntimo'')
* [[Philippine peso]] (as ''sentimo'' or ''centavo'')
* [[Seychellois rupee]]
* [[Sierra Leonean leone]]
* [[Singapore dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 5 cents.
* [[South African rand]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 10 cents.
* [[Sri Lankan rupee]]
* [[Surinamese dollar]]
* [[Swazi lilangeni]]
* [[New Taiwan dollar]], but all circulating coins are in multiples of 50 cents.
* [[Tanzanian shilling]]
* [[Tongan paʻanga]] (as ''seniti'')
* [[Trinidad and Tobago dollar]]
* [[United States dollar]]
* [[Uruguayan peso]] (as ''centésimo'')
* [[Zimbabwean ZiG]]

===Minor currency units with other names===
Examples of currencies featuring centesimal ({{frac|1|100}}) units not called ''cent''
{|class="wikitable"
!width=250pt|Major unit
!width=250pt|Divided into
|-
| [[Bhutanese ngultrum]]|| 100 chhertum
|-
| [[Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark]]|| 100 [[Pfennig|pfeniga]]
|-
| [[Botswanan pula]]|| 100 thebe
|-
| [[Pound sterling|British pound]]|| 100 pence (singular: penny) since [[Decimal Day]], 1971
|-
| [[Bulgarian lev]]||100 ''stotinki''<br />Cyrillic: ''стотинки''<br />("hundredths")
|-
| [[Renminbi|Chinese yuan]]|| 100 [[Fen (currency)|fēn]] (分); in general usage, divided into 10 jiǎo (角).
|-
| [[Croatian kuna]]|| 100 [[lipa (currency)|lipa]]
|-
| [[Danish krone]]|| 100 [[øre]]
|-
| [[Egyptian pound]]|| 100 [[piastre]]s
|-
| [[Estonian mark]]|| 100 [[Estonian mark|penni]] (singular: penn)
|-
| [[Gambian dalasi]]|| 100 bututs
|-
| [[Ghanaian cedi]]|| 100 pesewas
|-
| [[Indian rupee]]|| 100 [[paise]]
|-
| [[Israeli new shekel]]|| 100 [[Israeli agora|agorot]]
|-
| [[Macanese pataca|Macau pataca]]|| 100 [[Macanese pataca|avos]]; circulating coins are 10, 20, and 50 avos.
|-
| [[Macedonian denar]]|| 100 [[Macedonian denar|deni]]
|-
| [[Malawian kwacha]]|| 100 tambala
|-
| [[Mongolian tögrög]]|| 100 möngö
|-
|-
| [[Nepalese rupee]]|| 100 [[paisa]]
|-
| [[Pakistani rupee]]|| 100 [[paise]]
|-
| [[Papua New Guinean kina]]|| 100 toea
|-
| [[Polish złoty]]||100 [[Grosh|groszy]] (singular: grosz)
|-
| [[Qatari riyal]]||100 [[dirham]]s
|-
| [[Romanian leu|Romanian]] and [[Moldovan leu]]|| 100 bani
|-
| [[Russian ruble]]|| 100 [[Ruble|kopeks]]
|-
| [[Saudi riyal]]|| 100 [[Saudi riyal|halalas]]
|-
| [[Serbian dinar]]|| 100 [[Para (currency)|paras]]
|-
| [[Swedish krona]]|| 100 [[öre]]
|-
| [[Swiss franc]]|| German: 100 [[Rappen]]<br />French: 100 [[centime]]s<br />Italian: 100 [[centesimo|centesimi]]<br />Romansch: 100 raps
|-
| [[Thai baht]]||100 [[satang]]
|-
| [[Turkish lira]]|| 100 [[kuruş]]
|-
| [[United Arab Emirates dirham]]||100 [[fils (currency)|fils]]
|-
| [[Ukrainian hryvnia]]|| 100 kopiykas
|-
| [[Zambian kwacha]]|| 100 ngwee
|}

===Obsolete centesimal currency units===
Examples of currencies which formerly featured centesimal ({{frac|1|100}}) units but now have no fractional denomination in circulation:
{|class="wikitable"
!width=180pt|Major unit
!width=250pt|Formerly divided into
|-
|[[Costa Rican colón]]||(until the 1980s) 100 céntimos
|-
|[[Czech koruna]]||100 [[Heller (money)|haléřů]]
|-
|[[Hungarian forint]]||(until 1999) 100 [[fillér]]
|-
|[[Icelandic króna]]||100 eyrir (singular ''aurar'')
|-
|[[Japanese yen]]||100 sen
|-
| [[Norwegian krone]]||100 [[øre]]
|-
|[[South Korean won]]||100 jeon
|-
|[[Swedish krona]]||(until 2010) 100 [[öre]]
|-
|[[Ugandan shilling]]||(until 2013) 100 cents.
|}

Examples of currencies which use the cent symbol for other purposes:
* [[Costa Rican colón]]&nbsp;– The common symbol '¢' is frequently used locally to represent '₡', the proper colón designation
* [[Ghanaian cedi]]&nbsp;– The common symbol '¢' is sometimes used to represent '₵', the proper cedi designation

==See also==
{{Portal|Money|Numismatics}}
*[[Cent (music)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Cent (currency)}}
{{Currency signs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cent (currency)| ]]
[[Category:Denominations (currency)]]
[[Category:Currency symbols]]