Cent (currency)
In
currency, the
cent is a
monetary unit that equals 1/100 of the basic unit of value. The word also refers to the
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.
Etymologically, the word
cent derives from the
Latin word
centum and is related to the
Greek εκατόν (
hekaton); both mean
hundred.
Mints all over the
world usually create coins with values ranging from 1/100 to 100/100 of the monetary unit, while reserving
banknotes for higher values. However, coins with a 200/100 or 500/100 value are not uncommon, especially in cases of commemorative coinage. Many countries have pulled banknotes of a 200/100 value out of circulation and replaced them with coins.
Cent amounts between 1 cent and 99 cents are usually indicated by the one or two digits followed by the
cent sign, a lower-case letter
c pierced top to bottom by a forward slash or a vertical line:
¢ (2¢, 99¢). Where the cent sign is not used, a lower-case letter
c on its own is used (2c, 99c). In the
United States and
Canada, the first usage is more common, while in
Australia,
New Zealand and the
Eurozone, the second usage is more common. In South Africa only the latter is ever used.
Other monetary unit subdivision
systems are possible, such as the old
pound sterling, which until
decimalisation in
1971 was subdivided into 20
shillings (
s) or into 240
old pence (
d).
Examples of currencies around the world featuring cents, or related words from the same root such as
centimo,
centesimo,
sen, are:
*
Aruban florin*
Australian dollar*
Barbados dollar*
Bahamian dollar*
Belize dollar*
Bermuda dollar*
Brunei dollar (as sen)
*
Canadian dollar*
Cayman Islands dollar*
Cypriot pound (as σεντ or sent)
*
East Caribbean dollar*
Eritrean nakfa*
Estonian kroon (as sent)
*
Eurozone euro - the coins bear the text
EURO CENT; actual
usage varies depending on language. Greek coins have "ΛΕΠΤΟ" ("lepto") on the obverse of the one-cent coin and "ΛΕΠΤΑ" ("lepta") on the obverse of the others.
*
Fijian dollar*
Guyanese dollar*
Hong Kong dollar*
Indonesian rupiah (as sen)
*
Jamaican dollar*
Kenyan shilling*
Latvian lat*
Liberian dollar*
Lithuanian litas (as centas)
*
Malaysian ringgit (as sen)
*
Maltese lira*
Mauritian rupee*
Namibian dollar*
Netherlands Antillean gulden*
New Zealand dollar*
Seychelles rupee*
Sierra Leonean leone*
Singapore dollar*
South African rand*
Sri Lankan rupee*
Suriname dollar*
Swazi lilangeni*
New Taiwan dollar*
Tanzanian shilling*
Trinidad and Tobago dollar*
Ugandan shilling*
United States dollar*
Zimbabwean dollarExamples of currencies which do not feature cents
*
Indian rupee - divided into 100
paise*
Kuwaiti dinar - divided into 1000
fils*
Mauritanian ouguiya - divided into 5
khoums*
Malagasy ariary - divided into 5
iraimbilanja*
Romanian leu - divided into 100 bani
*
Serbian dinar - divided into 100
paras
*
Vietnamese Ä‘á»"ng - 10 hà o or 100 xu/su.
*
US Cent information by year and type. Histories, photos, mintages, mints, metal contents, edge designs, designers, and more.
