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Origins of World Currency Names
by IBNS member Omer Yalcinkaya of Istanbul, Turkey
Last updated: 30th August 2025
Omer has been collecting world bank notes for more than thirty years. He speaks nine languages and he is interested in linguistics and etymology in particular. He often wondered about the origins and the meanings of currency names and he decided to make this a research project.
As a result he came up with this list that contains the meanings of 292 currency names which covers more than 250 countries around the world.
Do you have a currency name that is not on the list? Contact Omer (omeryk@yahoo.com)
He welcomes inquiries or additions to his list since it is the first of its kind.
| Name of Currency | Country | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Abazi | Georgia (old coins) | A silver coin used in Georgia between 17th and 19th centuries. Georgian აბაზი derived from Persian Abbasi عباسي named after Safavid Shah Abbas I(1581-1629). |
| Abbasi | Iran (old coins) | A Safavi (Persian) silver coin first minted by Shah Abbas I. It was divided into 200 Dinars. |
| Adópengő | Hungary (old) | Literally "Tax Pengő". An interim unit introduced in 1946 in attempt to stabilise the Pengő. Both units were replaced by Forint in the same year. Also see Pengő. |
| Afghani | Afghanistan | Derived from country name: "that belongs to or that is from Afghanistan" |
| Agora / Agorot | Israel (coins) | Old Hebrew: אגורה - Agora. The name was suggested by the Academy of the Hebrew Language and was borrowed from Torah "agorat kessef" meaning "a piece of silver". אגורות - Agorotis the plural form. |
| Akşa | Tuva (old) | In Tuvan and other Turkic languages: Akşa (pronounced as Aksha) means "money". It was the currency of the People's Republic of Tuva from 1921 till 1944 when Tuva joined the USSR. |
| Angolar | Angola (old) | Portuguese: Angolar means "of Angola". |
| Anna | India, Burma, Pakistan (old coins) | Word is borrowed from Hindi word ānā which has the Sanskrit root aṇu - "small". |
| Ariary | Madagacar | From Arabic Riyal ريال which is ultimately derived from Spanish Real "royal" which was the name the silver dollar. Ariary system is a nondecimal one which is divided into 5 Iraimbilanja. |
| Att | Laos (coins) | Derived from Thai At, a former coin worth one-eighth of a Füang. |
| Auksinas | Lithuania (old) | Derived from auksas: "gold" in Lithuanian (with special thanks to Audrius from Lithuania). |
| Aurar | Iceland (coins) | Plural of eyrir from Old Norse "money", probably from Latin aurum "gold". |
| Austral | Argentina | Latin: Australis - coming from the South, Southern, from auster - the South wind. |
| Avo | Macao (coins) | Portuguese shortened from oitavo "eighth" from Latin octvus"eighth". |
| Baht | Thailand | Thai: บาท - Baht is a weight unit of 15 grams - Upto 1940's the currency of Thailand was Tical which was 15 grams of silver. |
| Baiza | Oman (coins) | Derived from the Hindi Paisa "a quarter". |
| Balboa | Panama | Vasco Nunez de Balboa - Spanish explorer who discovered the Pacific Ocean (1475-1519). |
| Ban / Bani | Romania (coins) | Ban means "money" in Romanian. Bani is the plural form. |
| Batzen | Switzerland (old coins) | Coin introduced in Bern, Switzerland. Name derives from German word Bätz meaning "bear" as the coin depicted a bear. |
| Birr | Ethiopia | In Amharic (language of Ethiopia) Birr ብር means "to be white" hence "silver". |
| Bolívar | Venezuela | Simon Bolivar - Venezuelan statesman who revolted against Spanish rule, founded Bolivia in 1825 (1783-1830). |
| Bolívar Fuerte | Venezuela | Means Strong Bolivar in Spanish. Used during 2008-2016 in Venezuela although only the name Bolívar appears on the banknotes. |
| Bolívar Soberano | Venezuela | Means Sovereign Bolivar in Spanish. Used during 2018-2019 in Venezuela although only the name Bolívar appears on the banknotes. |
| Boliviano | Bolivia | Meaning Bolivian in Spanish. The country Bolivia itself was named after Simon Bolivar. (With special thanks to Don Cleveland). |
| Bolognino | Italy (old coins) | Coins minted in Bologna from late 12th century to 17th century. |
| Budju | Algeria | Currency of Algeria prior to its occupation by France in 1848. 1 Budju was equal to 24 Muzuna. Etymology of the word has been not found. |
| Buqsha | Yemen | Currency unit equivalent to 1/40 of a Yemeni Rial. Etymology of the word has not been found. |
| Butut | Gambian coins | Derived from the word butuut "small thing" in the native Wolof language of Gambia. |
| Cash | China (old) | Please see Wen |
| Cauri | Guinea (coins) | 1/100 of a Syli. Literally means "shell" derived form Indian कौड़ी "kauri". |
| Cedi | Ghana | In Akan (a native language of Ghana) Cedi is a "small shell". |
| Cent, Centavo, Centime | Many countries | Latin: Centum - a hundred, used in the meaning of "a hundredth" |
| Chervonets | Russia (old coins), USSR | Russian word Червонец (Chervonets) derives from Червонное золото (Chervonnoye Zoloto) which comes from Polish Czerwony Złoty meaning "pure gold". Referred to the gold coins in Russia from 13th century. Chernovets was the official currency of the USSR based on fine gold between 1924 and 1947 together with the Soviet Ruble. |
| Chon | Korea | Korean: 전 - Chon (also spelled as Jeon) means 1/10. 1 Won is divided into 10 Chon. |
| Colón | El Salvador, Costa Rica | Cristobal Colón is the Spanish name of Christopher Columbus, explorer who discovered America (1451-1506) |
| Córdoba | Nicaragua | Francisco Fernandez Córdoba - Spanish explorer who discovered Yucatan (1475-1526) |
| Crown | Great Britain (old coins) | Came into being with the Union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1707 with the value 5 Shillings. Commemorative coins issued in the UK from 1990 have the value or 5 Pounds. |
| Cruzado | Brazil | from the Portuguese verb cruzar: "to bear a cross" - early Portuguese gold or silver coins that beared a cross on reverse. |
| Cruzeiro | Brazil | from Portuguese word: Cruz- "cross". |
| Cruzeiro Real | Brazil | Short-lived currency of Brazil between August 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994. Plural form is Cruzeiros Reais. See also Cruziero and Real. |
| Cupon | Moldova | Romanian word for "coupon". Interim currency unit of Moldova between 1992-1993. Coupons was replaced by Leu in 1993 at the ratio of 1:1000. |
| Customs Gold Unit | China | The Customs Gold Unit was a currency issued by the Central Bank of China between 1930 and 1948. In Chinese, the name of the currency was 關金圓 guānjīnyuán, literally "customs gold yuan". Initially used for customs payments were put into general circulation in 1942. |
| Dalasi | Gambia | Derived from the nickname of 5 West African Francs Dala which in turn derived from Dollar. |
| Daler | Danish West Indies (old coins) | Derived from Dollar. Vestindiske Daler was the currency of the Danish West Indies between 1849 and 1917 and also used in the US Virgin Islands. |
| Daric | Iran (old coins) | Derived from Middle Persian word Zarig meaning "gold". Daric was a gold coin used in the Persian Empire intorduced in the sixth century BC. |
| Denar | North Macedonia | Macedonian variant of the Latin: Denarius - Silver Money |
| Denier | France (old coins) | Denier is a French coin first minted in the 7th century and the name is derived from Latin Denarius. |
| Dinar | Many countries | Dinar is derived from Latin: Denarius - Silver Money. |
| Dinara Srebru | Serbia | Serbian: "Silver Dinar". |
| Dinara Zlatu | Serbia | Serbian: "Gold Dinar". |
| Diner | Andorra | Cognate with Dinar. |
| Dinero | Spain (old coins) | Spanish variant of the French Denier were the coins used in the Christian states of Spain in the10th century. Dinero means "money" in modern Spanish. |
| Dinheiro | Portugal (old coins) | The name is copied from the Spanish Dinero. Dinheiro was the currency of Portugal from the late 12th century to early 16th century. |
| Diram | Tajikistan | Cognate with Dirham. |
| Dirham | Morocco, UAE | Arabic: درهم - Dirham is derived from the Old Greek word Drakhme which came to Latin as Drachma meaning "a handful". |
| Dobla | Spain (old coins) | Literally "double". The word was derived from Double Maravedi, when Maravedi was devalued as equivalent to the Muslim Half-Dinar. |
| Dobra | St.Thomas and Principe | Portuguese: Fold, folding |
| Dollar | USA and many other countries | from 16th century German: Thaler a short form of Joahimsthaler, coin made from metal mined in Joahimsthal, a town now in Czech Republic. Also see thaler and tolar |
| Đồng | Vietnam | Vietnamese: đồng - literally "copper" or "bronze", in modern Vietnamese đồng tiền means "currency". 1 Dong is divided into 10 Hào. |
| Drachma | Greece | Old Greek: δραχμή - Drakhme meaning "a handful" derived from the verb δράττω - dratto "to grasp". It is also an ancient unit of weight equal to 60 grains. |
| Dram | Armenia | Armenian: Դրամ - Dram means "money" which was derived from the Greek word Drachma. |
| Ducat | Austria, Germany, Holland and many other countries | Derived from Ducatus - the Latin word for Duchy, which is ultimately derived from Latin Ducis: Duke. |
| Egyptian Pound | Egypt | The name of the currency in the Egyptian Arabic is Junayh Masri جنيه مصرى where Masri is "Egyptian" and Junayh is derived from Guinea where the gold was imported from. |
| Emalangeni | Eswatini (Swaziland) | In Swati language Langeni means money; Emalangeni is used as plural and Lilangeni is singular. |
| Euro | European Union | Derived from Europe. Each country adopts the first sylable of the word in her own language. This name was the winning choice in a contest in 1996, and was invented by a group of scholars in Spain (with special thanks to Roberto Cacciamani). |
| Escudo | Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, Chile, Mozambique etc. | Portuguese: "Shield displaying coat of arms" from Latin Scutum"shield". |
| Eyrir | Iceland (coins) | From Old Norse Eyrir "gold coin" which comes from Latin Aureus "gold coin" from Aurum "gold" |
| Fen | China | Chinese: 分 - literally means "small portion" and used in currency as 1/100. 1 Yuan is divided into 100 Fen (with special thanks to Kevin Au from Canada). |
| Fenniga | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Derived from the German Pfennig. |
| Filira | Croatia | Croatian cognate of the Hungarian Filler. |
| Filler | Hungary | In Hungarian Filler means "a very small amount of money". |
| Fils | Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, UAE, Yemen (coins) | In Arabic the word Fals or Fils فلس is derived from Latin word follis meaning "piece of money". |
| Forint | Hungary | From Italian word Fiorino - Florin. |
| Franc | France and other French speaking countries | 14th century French word derived from Latin phrase: Rex Francorum - King of the Franks, inscribed on 14th century francs. |
| Franco (1) | Dominican Rupublic (old) | Franco derived from the French Franc was the currency unit of the Dominican Republic during 1891-1897. |
| Franco (2) | Italy and Switzerland (old coins) | Franco derived from the French Franc was the currency unit in Tuscany, Italy and Ticino, Switzerland in the 19th century. |
| Franga | Albania | Albanian form of Franc. |
| Frank Ar | Albania | Albanian form of "Gold Franc". Plural Franka Ari. |
| Fun | Korea (old coins) | Korean: 분 - Fun is derived from Chinese Fen. 1 Whan, a silver Dollar, was divided into 500 Fun (with special thanks to Kevin Au from Canada). |
| Fyrk | Sweden (old) | Monetary unit between 15th and 17th centuries with a value between 1/6 to 1/2 of an Öre. Was derived from Middle Low German vereken (vierichen) and ultimately from ver or vier, a monetary unit from vier, "four". |
| Gerah | Israel (old coins) | An ancient Hebrew unit of currency equal to 1/5 of a Denarius and 1/20 of a Shekel. |
| Gourde | Haiti | A tropical American evergreen that produces large round gourds. |
| Groš | Czech Rep. (Former Bohemia) | Pronounced as grosh. Pražský Groš (Prague Grosh) is the name of the coin equal to the one-thirtieth of a Thaler. The word is adopted from Latin (Denarius) Grossus: lit. "A thick coin" where grossus being "thick". |
| Groschen | Germany and Austria (coins) | Derived from the Czech Groš, ultimately from Latin Grossus. |
| Grosz | Poland (coins) | Grosz was a 3.2 gr. silver coin equivalent of 12 Denarius in the 14th century in Poland. Derived from Latin Grossus. |
| Guarani | Paraguay | Indigenous people living in Paraguay and Bolivia. |
| Guinea | Great Britain (old coins) | from the Guinea region in West Africa where gold came from. It was the first machine struck gold coin, originally worth 1 Pound Sterling or 20 Shillings. |
| Gulden | Holland, Suriname, Netherlands Antilles | Dutch: Golden. |
| Haler | Czech Republic (coins) | Derived from the German Haller. |
| Halier | Slovakia (coins) | Derived from the German Haller. |
| Hào | Vietnam | Originally Hào is a unit of weight in Vietnam equal to 3.77 miligrams. In currency terms it is used as one tenth of a Dong. |
| Heller / Haller | Germany (coins) | from SchwäbischHall, town near Stuttgart where the coins were minted. |
| Hryvnia | Ukraine | Hryvnia was the currency unit of the Kievian Rus in the 11th century. Originally the word meant "neck" and used for the valuable things worn around the neck. |
| Hwan | Korea (old) | Korean: 환 - Hwan Derived from Chinese 元 Yuan, was the currency unit in South Korea from 1953 till 1962. |
| Inca | Peru (old) | Inca was a unit of currency in Peru between 1881 and 1882 which takes its name from Inca Civilization. Only Inca banknotes were issued. |
| Inti | Peru | A regional word from Quechua, Peru meaning "Sun" the principal god of the Inca culture (with special thanks to Massimo Accordi). |
| Iraimbilanja | Madagacar (coins) | Iriambilanja means "one iron weight" in Malagasy language which is one fifth of an Ariary. |
| Jeon | Korea | Korean: 전 - Jeon (also spelled as Chon) means 1/10. 1 Won is divided into 10 Jeon. |
| Jiao | China | Chinese: 角 - literally means "corner" and in currency is used as 1/10. 1 Yuan is divided into 10 Jiao. (with special thanks to Kevin Au from Canada). |
| Kapieyka | Belarus (coins) | Belarussian Kапейка (pronounced as kapieyka) is derived from the Russian Kopeika. Plural form is Kапейкі (pronunced as kapeyki) for numerals 2, 3 and 4 and Kапеек (pronunced as kapeek) for the rest. |
| Karbovanetz | Ukraine, Belarus | The name given to Ruble in Ukraine and Belarus derived from German word Kerbe: To carve, to cut; same as the meaning of the Ruble (with special thanks to Philippe Simon from France). |
| Khoums | Mauritania (coins) | From Arabic word Khoums خمس "fifth", 1 Ouguiya is divided into 5 Khoums. |
| Kina | Papua New Guinea | Kina means "pearl shell" in Pidgin and Kuanua languages. |
| Kip | Laos | In Lao language Kip means"ingot", a mold in which metal is cast. |
| Kobo | Nigeria (coins) | Derived from the English "copper" penny |
| Kopeck / Kopek | Russia, Belarus, Ukraine (coins) | Kопейка (kopeika) is derived from kopyo meaning "spear", from the image of a rider with a spear on the coins minted in 1478. Plural form is Kопейки (pronunced as kapeyki) for numerals 2, 3 and 4 and Koпеек (pronunced as kapeek) for the rest. |
| Kɵpejek | Tuva (coins) | Tuvanized name of Russian Kopeek plural of Kopeika. |
| Korona | Hungary | Hungarian variant of Crown. Plural form is Krona as well. |
| Koruna (1) | Czech Republic | Czech word for crown, from Latin Corona. Plural form is Koruny české however genitive plural form Korun českých is used on banknotes. |
| Koruna (2) | Slovakia | Slovakian word for crown, from Latin Corona. Plural form is Slovenské Koruny however genitive plural form Slovenských Korún is used on banknotes. |
| Koruuni | Greenland | Eskimo-Aleut (official language of Greenland) variant of Danish word Krone which is derived from Latin Corona "crown". |
| Kran / Qiran | Iran (old) | Persian قران - Kran was 1000 Dinar or one tenth of a Toman. The Rial replaced Kran in 1932. |
| Krona | Sweden | Swedish variant of Crown. Plural is Kronor. |
| Króna | Iceland, Faroe Islands | Icelandic and Faroese variant of Crown. Plural form is Krónurin both languages. |
| Krone (1) | Denmark, Norway | Danish and Norwegian variant of Crown. Plural form is Kroner in both languages. |
| Krone (2) | Germany, Austria | German variant of Crown. Plural form is Kronen. |
| Kronenthaler | Austrian Netherlands (old) | From German meaning "Crown Thaler" as the coins featured crowns on reverse that were used in the 18th century. |
| Kroon | Estonia | Estonian variant of Crown. |
| Kuan / Guàn | China (old) | Chinese 贯 - Guàn literally means "string the cash coins together (old Chinese coins had a whole in center)". Guàn is an old unit equal to 1000 coins.(with special thanks to Fung Nai Chuen - moneyissuer from Hong Kong). |
| Kuan Wen Sheng / Guàn Wen Sheng | China (old) | Chinese 贯文省 / 贯聞省 – Guàn Wen Sheng in Chinese literally means "string the cash coins together". It is an old unit equal to 770 / 800 cash coins used between 1168 - 1279 AD. (with special thanks to Alex Fung - moneyissuer from Hong Kong). |
| Kuna | Croatia | Croatian : "Marten" - a small furred animal, as its fur was unit of exchange in medieval trading. |
| Kuruş | Turkey (coins) | Pronounced as kooroosh, derived from the Austrian Groschen, ultimately from Latin Grossus. |
| Kwacha | Malawi, Zambia | In Bemba (Zambian language): "Dawn" symbolizes the Zambian nationalist slogan "New dawn of freedom". |
| Kwanza | Angola | In Swahili the word literally means "the first fruits", but the currency takes its name from Kwanza River in Angola. |
| Kyat | Myanmar (formerly Burma) | Burmese: Kyat (pronounced as chia) literally means "round" and "flat". Kyat has been used in the 19th century as unit of mass, approximately 16.33 grams. |
| Laari | Maldives (coins) | In Maldivian language Laari ލއާރއި is derived from Larin (pl. Lari) which is silver fish hook money originating from the Persian town of Lar near the Arabian Sea. |
| Lari | Georgia | In old Georgian langauge ლარი - Lari means "hoard" or "property". |
| Lats | Latvia | Derives from Latvija: Latvia in Latvian language, Lati and Latu are plural forms (with special thanks to Audrius from Lithuania). |
| Lei | Romania | Plural form of Romanian Leu. Also see Leu. |
| Lek | Albania | Named after 15th century Albanian feudal lord Lek Dukagjini. |
| Lempira | Honduras | Lempira is an Indian Chief who opposed the Spanish. |
| Leone | Sierra Leone | Derived from country name Sierra Leone from the Italian spelling of the "Lion Mountains", whereas Leone is "lion". |
| Lepton | Greece (coins) | Lepton (plural Lepta) means "small" or "thin" in Greek. |
| Leu | Romania, Moldova | Leu in Romanian means "lion". Plural form is Lei. |
| Lev / Leva | Bulgaria | Lev in Bulgarian means "lion". Plural form is Leva. |
| Leva Srebrni / Srebro | Bulgaria | Bulgarian: "Silver Leva". |
| Leva Zlatni / Zlato | Bulgaria | Bulgarian: "Gold Leva". |
| Libra Peruana de Oro | Peru (old) | Spanish: "Peruvian Gold Pound". It was the unit of currency in Peru between 1898 and 1931. |
| Lilangeni | Eswatini (Swaziland) | In Swati language Langeni means "money"; li- is the singular prefix and ema- is the plural prefix. |
| Lira (1) | Italy, Vatican, San Marino | Latin: Libra - "scales" or "pound". Plural form in Italian is Lire. |
| Lira (2) | Malta | From Italian Lira which is from Latin: Libra - "scales" or "pound". Plural form is Liriin Maltese. |
| Lira (3) | Turkey | From Italian Lira which is from Latin: Libra - "scales" or "pound". Plural form is also Lira. Lirası is not the plural form. The clause "Türk Lirası" on banknotes means Turkish Lira. |
| Lirot | Israel | Hebrew לירות - Lirot is simply plural of לירה "Lira". |
| Lisente | Lesotho | Plural of Sente which is derived from Cent. |
| Litas | Lithuania | Derives from Lietuva: Lithuania in Lithuanian language, Litai and Litu are plural forms (with special thanks to Audrius from Lithuania). |
| Loti | Lesotho | In Sesotho (language of Lesotho) Loti means "mountain" and is the singular form of Maloti. |
| Lumma | Armenia (coins) | Derived from Armenian Lumay "small coin" which comes from Greek Noummos "current coin". |
| Ma'ah | Israel (old coins) | Ma'ah מעה is the singular form of ma'ot "מעות" which means "money" in Aramaic. Also called Gerah גרה in Hebrew. It is equal to 1/5 of a Denarius and 1/20 of a Shekel. |
| Mace | China (old coins) | 1⁄10 of a Tael or approximately 3.78 grams. English word is derived from Malay mas meaning "urad bean" which is ultimately Derived form Sanskrit māṣa meaning the same. |
| Maloti | Lesotho | Maloti is the name of a mountain chain where there is the highest peak in South Africa. |
| Manat | Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan | Derived from the Russian word for coins "manyeta" (spells as "moneta") which comes from Latin Moneta, "mint, money" |
| Maneti | Georgia (coins) | Georgian მანეთი is derived from the Russian word for coins Mонета (pronounced as manyeta) which comes from Latin Moneta, "mint, money". Also used as the Georgian name for the Soviet Ruble |
| Maravedi | Spain (old coins) | Iberian gold and silver coins used in 11-14th centuries. Word derives from Almoravids (Ar. المرابطون ) a Berber-Muslim Dynasty which ruled present Morocco and Southern Spain in 11-12th centuries. |
| Mark | Germany | Old English: Marc is a unit of weight of precious metals perhaps from the marks on metal bars. |
| Marka | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Konvertibilna Marka is derived from German Mark, established by Dayton Agreement in 1995. |
| Markkaa | Finland | Finnish variant of Mark. |
| Mecidiye / Medjidie | Turkey (old coins) | Coins minted during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid or Sultan Mecid as more commonly called, which is pronounced as Medjid in Turkish |
| Metical | Mozambique | Derived from Arabic Mitqal مثقال : a weight measuring unit used for gold and other precious metals. Plural in Portuguese is Meticais (with special thanks to H.E. Marc van den Reeck from Belgium). |
| Millimes | Tunusia (coins) | from French Millième "thousandth" which comes from Latin Millesimus"thousandth". |
| Mohru / Mohar | Nepal (old) | Originally the Nepalese word is मोहर् - Mohar derived from Persian Muhr "seal". 1 Mohar (Mohru) was an 8 anna silver piece. Mohru was replaced by Rupee in 1932 at a rate of 2 Mohru equal to 1 Rupee. |
| Mongo | Mongolia (coins) | Mongolian: мөнгө (pronounced as möngö) means "silver". 1 Tugrik is divided into 100 Mongo. |
| Mun | Korea (old) | Korean: 文 - Mun was a cognate of the Chinese 文 - Wen meaning "cash". |
| Muzuna | Algeria (old) | 1/24 of a Budju. Etymology of the word has not been found. |
| Naira | Nigeria | Altered from the word "Nigeria". |
| Nakfa | Eritrea | Nak'fa is a town in Eritrea that became the symbol of Eritrean resistance. |
| Ngultrum | Bhutan | The word དངུལ་ཀྲམ (pronounced as engultrum) is derived from Ngul "silver" and trum"money" in Dzongkha, a Tibetan language. |
| Notgeld | Germany | In German Notgeld means "emergency money" issued in Germany and Austria during economic crises. Although it is neither a currency unit nor legal tender, notgeld is still a specialised category in bank note collecting. |
| øre / Öre | Sweden, Denmark, Norway (coins) | From Old Norse Eyrir "gold coin" which comes from Latin Aureus "gold coin" from Aurum "gold". |
| Ostmark | German controlled Eastern Europe | German: Ostmark is literally "East Mark". The German Dahrlenskassen issued this currency in 1918 to be used in the German controlled Eastern Europe at that time. Later GDR Mark was colloqually called Ostmark. |
| Ouguiya | Mauritania | Derived from Arabic uqiyya أُوقِية meaning "ounce". Ouguiya system is nondecimal which is divided into 5 Khoums. |
| Oyra | Faroe Islands (coins) | Faroese Danish form of Öre. Plural form Oyrur. |
| Pa'anga | Tonga | Tongan: "Bean shaped pieces". |
| Pahlavi | Iran | Belonging or related to the Pahlavi Dynasty in Iran. |
| Paisa | India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh (coins) | Derived from Sanskrit word padamsah which means a "quarter". |
| Pang | China (antique) | Chinese 朋 - Pang is an antique unit equal to about 10 cypraea shells. Cypraea shells formed the base of the Chinese Moneraty System. (with special thanks to Fung Nai Chuen - moneyissuer from Hong Kong). |
| Papiermark | Germany | Literally "paper mark" in German. As a result of hyperinflation after WWI Mark became worthless and was called Papiermark. In 1923 Rentenmark was introduced at the exchange rate of 1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion) Marks. |
| Para | Turkey (old), Yugoslavia (old) | From Persian word pare which means "a piece". In Ottoman currency system 1 Kuruş was composed of 40 Paras. In today's Turkish Para means "money". |
| Pataca | Macao | Portuguese: "Paw". |
| Pence / Pennies | England | Plural of Penny. |
| Pengő | Hungary (old) | Hungarian: Pengő - meaning "twang". Probably derived from the sound of a silver coin when thrown on a hard surface. |
| Pennia | Finland (coins) | Derived from the German Pfennig. |
| Penny | England | In Old English it was Penig which was cognate with Pfenning which means "coin" inOld High German. |
| Perper | Montenegro | Derives from a 21 carat gold coin minted by the Byzantine Emperor Alexis I in 1092. The coin was called in Greek Hyperpyron meaning "highly refined" whereas in Latin Perperum (with special thanks to Philippe Simon from France). |
| Peseta | Spain | Diminutive of Peso. |
| Pesewa | Ghana (coins) | In Akan (a native language of Ghana) Pésewabois a seed of a plant, formerly used as the smallest gold weight. |
| Peso | Many Spanish speaking countries | Spanish: "Weight". |
| Peso Oro | Dominican Republic, Paraguay | Spanish: "Gold Peso". |
| Peso Oro Sellado | Argentina (old coins) | In Spanish literally means Sealed Gold Peso used for gold coins in 19th century in Argentina. Peso Oro Sellado was 1.6129 grams of gold with 0.900 grade, which is 1.4516 grams of fine gold. |
| Pfennig / Pfennigs | Germany | Derived from Pfenning which means "coin" in Old High German. |
| Pfeniga | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Derived from the German Pfennig. |
| Piaster / Piastre | Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Syria | Derived from Italian Piastra "thin metal plate". |
| Poisha | Bangladesh (coins) | In Bengali Poisha is a "quarter" which is derived from the Hindi Paisa. |
| Poltura | Hungary (old coins) | Derived from Polish Półtorak equal to one and a half grosz. In Polish półtora means one and a half. |
| Półtorak | Poland (old coins) | Was a small coin equal to 1½ grosz struck in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 17th century. |
| Pound Sterling | England and many other countries | Old English: Pund from Latin word: Pondus - Weight; Sterling is drived from old English word Steorra - Star, referring to a small star on early Norman pennies. |
| Pruta / Prutah | Israel (coins) | Hebrew פרוטה - Pruta means a "coin of small value". |
| Pul | Afghanistan and Persia (coins) | from Persian word pul پول which means "small money". |
| Pula | Botswana | In Setswana (the language of Botswana) Pula means "rain". |
| Punt | Ireland | Irish Gaelic: Pound. |
| Qepiq | Azerbaijan (coins) | Derived from Russian Kopeika. |
| Qindarka | Albania (coins) | In Albanian Qint / Qind (pronounced as chint) is a hundred and Qindarka is "one hundredth". |
| Quetzal | Guatemala | Spanish: a kind of colorful bird with a long tail featuring Gutemalan banknotes; zool: Pharomachrus mocinno. |
| Rand | South Africa | Named after Witwatersrand a region of northeast South Africa where the richest gold-mining areas in the world are located. |
| Real | Brazil | Portuguese: 1) Royal, 2) Actual, 3) Real. Plural form is Reais. |
| Reis | Brazil & Portuguese colonies | Plural of Real. |
| Reichsmark | Germany | German: Reich is literally "realm" or "empire". Reichsmark was the official currrency of Germany from 1924 until 1948. |
| Renminbi Yuan | P.R. of China | Chinese: 人民幣 - "Renminbi" is the "People's currency"; 元 or 圆 "Yuan" is literally "round object". |
| Rentenmark | Germany | Bank notes issued by the Rentenbank (Annuity Bank) were called Rentenmark. It was an interim currency introduced to stop the hyperinflation in 1923. In 1924 Reichsmark succeeded Rentenmark. |
| Rial | Iran, Oman, Yemen | Persian ريال - Rial is a cognate of the Arabic Riyal which is derived from the Spanish word Real. |
| Riel | Cambodia | In Khmer language Rielmeans "the one that shines, shinny". |
| Riffan | Riff Republic (present Morocco) | Derived from the name of the self-proclaimed state Riff Republic in 1921. The word originates from Arabic الريف - er-Rif meaning "countryside". |
| Rigsdaler | Denmark (old) | Danish: Rigsdaler - "Thaler of the realm" The currrency of Denmark until 1873 which was divided into 96 Skilling. |
| Rijksdaalder | Netherlands (coins) | Literally means "National Dollar" in Dutch. Was the name of the coins minted in the late 16th century during the Dutch Revolt. |
| Riksdaler | Sweden, Norway (old) | Norwegian/Swedish: Riksdaler - "Thaler of the realm". The currrency of Sweden until 1873 which was divided into 48 Skillingar. Riksdaler courant in Norway was used until 1813 and was divided into 96 Skilling. |
| Ringgit | Malaysia, Brunei | In Malay ringgit means "jagged" and was origianally used to refer to the serrated edges of the Spanish silver coins widely used in the area. |
| Riyal | Saudi Arabia, Hejaz, Qatar | Derived from the from Spanish word Real meaning "royal". |
| Rubel | Belarus | Belarussian Рубель (pronounced as rubiel) is derived from the Russian Ruble. Plural form is Pублі (pronunced as rubli) for numerals 2, 3 and 4 and Pублёў (pronunced as rubliou)for the rest. |
| Ruble | Russia, USSR | Russian: Pубль - Rubl "silver bar" from the Russian verb rubit - "to cut up". Plural is Pубля (pronounced as rublya) for numerals 2, 3 and 4 and Pублей (pronounced as rubley) for the rest. |
| Rublis | Latvia | Derived from Russian Ruble. Plural forms in Latvian are Rubļi and Rubļu. |
| Rufiyaa | Maldives | from Sanskrit word रूप्य Rupya - Silver. |
| Rupee | India, Pakistan, Nepal and others | from Sanskrit word रूप्य Rupya - Silver. |
| Rupiah / Roepiah | Indonesia | from Sanskrit word रूप्य Rupya - Silver. |
| Ryō | Japan (old coins) | Ryō 両 was a gold currency unit in the Shakkanhō system in pre-Meiji Japan. Ryō is cognate with Chinese Tael 两. After Meiji Restoration it was replaced with Yen. See also Tael. |
| Satang | Thailand (coins) | Thai สตางค์ - Satang is one hundredth of a Baht. |
| Scudo | Papal States, Malta (old) | Italian: Scudo, like Escudo, is also derived from Latin Scutum - "shield". So called because the coins had a shield bearing a coat of arms. Scudo was the currency of the Papal States until 1866 and was divided into 100 Baiocchi. |
| Sen | Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Japan, Cambodia | Literally means "cash" in Japanese (with special thanks to Prof. Dr. Mark Irwin from Yamagata University). |
| Sene | Western Samoa | Derived from Cent. |
| Seniti | Tonga (coins) | Derived from Cent. |
| Sente | Lesotho coins | Derived from Cent. |
| Senti | Estonia (coins) | Derived from Cent. |
| Sequin | Italy (old coins) | English name for the Italian Zecchino. Also see Zecchino. |
| Shahi | Iran, Afghanistan, India (old) | In Persian, Shahi means that belongs to or related to the Shah - King. So the word may be interpreted as "Royal". Also in ancient India and Afghanistan there were rulers called Shahi. |
| Shahiv | Ukraine | Ukrainian шагiв - Shahiv is the plural form of Shah which was originally a silver coin egual to 3 grosz in the Polish-Lithuanian Union in 17th-18th centuries. Shahiv money stamps were used in the Ukrainian People's Republic. |
| Shekel / Sheqel | Israel | Hebrew: שקל - Shekel literally means "weight" and was used as a unit of weight of around 12 grams. Plural form is Sheqalim. |
| Shilling | UK (old), Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania etc | From the Old English and Old High German verb "scilling" - "to divide". |
| Skar | Tibet (coins) | Literally means "star" in Tibetan. Coin equavalent to 1/100 of a Srung. |
| Skilling | Sweden, Norway (old) | Swedish and Norwegian cognate of the Shilling. |
| Sol | Peru | Sol stays for sun, meaning the "God of Sun" the principal god for Inca culture (with special thanks to Massimo Accordi). |
| Soldo | Italy (old coins) | Derived from Latin Solidus. Plural form is Soldi. |
| Solidus | Ancient Rome | In Latin "nummus solidus" means "solid coin". The coin was originally gold therefore it was "solid". The English word "soldier" derives from this word as they were paid with such coins. |
| Som | Kyrghyzstan | Kyrghyz: "Pure, bullion" (gold). |
| Somoni | Tajikistan | Named in the honour of Ismoil Somoni (849-907) - the founder of the first Samanid (Tajik) State. |
| Sou / Sol until 1715 | France | Sou is a derivation of Sol which is derived from the Latin Solidus. Sou is a slang word for "money" in French today. |
| Speciedaler | Norway (old) | Speciedaler was the currency of Norway from 1816 till 1875. It was divided into 120 Skilling. Krona replaced Speciedaler when Norway joined the Scandinavian Monetary Union in 1875. |
| Srang | Tibet | Srang, pronounced as sung in Tibet language, is a unit of weight equal to Chinese Liang about 37.50 grams (with special thanks to Phub from Bhutan). |
| Stiver | Netherlands, Dutch colonies (coins) | Derived from Dutch Struiver. |
| Stotinki | Bulgaria (coins) | Derived from the Slavic word Sto a "hundred" meaning "hundredth". |
| Stotin | Slovenia (coins) | Derived from the Slavic word Sto a "hundred" meaning "hundredth". |
| Struiver | Netherlands, Dutch colonies (coins) | Literally means "nickel". A coin worth 16 Penning or 1/20 of a Guilder. The word also has the meaning smallest possible amount, worthless. |
| Sucre | Equador | Antonio Jose de Sucre - South American liberator who revolted against Spain, first president of Bolivia (1795-1830). |
| Sueldo | Spain (old coins) | Derived from Latin Solidus. Also means "salary" in today's Spanish. |
| Sum / Som / So'm | Uzbekistan | Pronounced as som - Uzbek: "Pure, bullion" (gold). |
| Syli | Guinea | Literally means "elephant". |
| Tael | China (old) | Chinese: 兩 - Liyang - a unit of weight equal to 40 grams (of silver). Today the unit is still used for weight measuring. In China it means 50 grams, whereas im Hong Kong 37.429 grams. The English word Tael originates from Malay tahil meaning "grain" which has its root in Arabic dahl - "grain". |
| Taka | Bangladesh | Bengali word Taka comes from Sanskrit word Tankah. |
| Tala | Western Samoa | Derived from English Dollar. |
| Tallero | Eritrea (old) | Derived from German Thaler. It was the currency unit in Eritrea from 1890 till 1921. |
| Talonas | Lithuania | Talonas is the interim currency unit in Lithuania used in 1991-1993. In Lithuanian Talonas means "ration coupons". Plural forms in Lithuanian are Talonai and Talonų. |
| Tam / Trum | Tibet | In Tibet language Tam / Trum means "money". (with special thanks to Phub from Bhutan). |
| Tambala | Malawi (coins) | In Chewa (a Bantu language spoken in Malawi) Tambala is a "cockerel". |
| Tamlung | Thailand | In Thailand, Tamlung is a unit weight equal to 60 grams. |
| Tanga | Tajikistan (coins) | Derived from the Uzbek Tenga. |
| Tanga | Portuguese India | Derived from Sanskrit word Tankah. |
| Tangka | Tibet | Derived from Sanskrit word Tankah. |
| Tankah | India (old coins) | Sanskrit word Tankah तन्कह् means a "stamped coin" which may be related to Mongolian Tamga"stamp, seal".. |
| Tenga | Uzbekistan (Buhara, Khiva - old) | Uzbek (and also other Turkic languages): "balance, scales", from Mongolian Tenkhe. |
| Tenge | Kazakhstan | Kazakh (and also other Turkic languages): "balance, scales", from Mongolian Tenkhe. |
| Teňňe | Turkmenistan (coins) | Turkmen (and also other Turkic languages): "balance, scales", from Mongolian Tenkhe. |
| Tetri | Georgia (coins) | Georgian: "white", due to the silver coins minted in ancient Georgia. |
| Thaler | Germany (old), Ethiopia (old) | As the Dollar, from 16th century German: Thaler a short for of Joahimsthaler, coin made from metal mined in Joahimsthal, a town now in Czechia. |
| Thebe | Botswana (coins) | In Setswana (the language of Botswana) Thebe means "shield". |
| Tical | Thailand, Burma (old) | In Burmese Tical is a small unit of weight roughly equal to 5 grams. |
| Tiyin | Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan | Derived from Old Turkic Tiyin meaning "squirrel". Squirrel skin and fur were used as means of payment by Turkic Khanatesin Central Asia. |
| Toea | Papua New Guinea (coins) | Toea is a very valuable shell used for trading found in the depths of the ocean. |
| Tolar (1) | Bohemia (Czechia old) | Jáchymovský Tolar is the Czech name for the silver coin mined in Kingdom of Bohemia from 1519 until 1672 in Jáchymov, German: Joachimsthal |
| Tolar (2) | Slovenia | Derived from the German word Thaler as the Dollar. |
| Toman | Iran (old) | Persian تومان - Toman is a gold coin formerly used in Persia worth 10,000 Dinars, the word comes from Turkish Tümen which ultimately comes from Mongolian Түмэн Tümen meaning"a unit of ten thousand". |
| Tugrik | Mongolia | Mongolian: төгрөг (pronounced as Tögrög) means "round". |
| Wen | China (old) | Chinese: 文 - Wen means "cash". This unit is shown in the catalogs as Cash. The Wen notes are the first officially circulating banknotes in the world dating as back 960 A.D. In 1889 Yuan was introduced at the rate of 1000 Wen. |
| Whan | Korea (old) | Korean: 圜 - Whan was equal to 5 Yang later became Won. |
| Won | Korea | Korean: 원 or 전 - Won (pronounced like on) derived from Chinese Yuan. |
| Xu | Vietnam | Xu is derived from the French Sou. |
| Yang | Korea (old) | Korean: 兩 - Yang is a borrowing from the Chinese 兩 - Liyang. Yang was the currency unit of Korea between 1892-1902. |
| Yarmaq | Khazar Khanate (old coins) | Yarmaq was a silver coin used in the Judaic-Turkic Khazar Khanate during in the 6th century. Word is derived from Turkish word yarmak which means "to cut vertically". |
| Yen | Japan | Japanese: 円 - Yen - literally "a round object" (with special thanks to Prof. Dr. Mark Irwin from Yamagata University). |
| Yeni Türk Lirası | Turkey | An interim unit used in Turkey during the currency reform between 2005 and 2009. Yeni Türk Lirası means the New Turkish Lira. See also Lira (3). |
| Yuan | China | Chinese: 元 or 圆 - Yuan: "round object" which originally was used as 元宝 "base treasure" on ancient coins (with special thanks to Prof. Dr. Mark Irwin from Yamagata University). |
| Zaire | Congo Democratic Republic, Zaire | The word Zaire is derived from the Kikongo (an ethnic language in Congo) word Nzere meaning "river". It refers to Congo River where the country takes its name. Congo originally means a "hunter". |
| Zecchino | Italy (old coins) | A gold coin used in Venice from 13th century onwards. Named after the Venetian mint "Zecca" which originally derives from Arabic "Sikkah" - coin mould or die. |
| Złoty | Poland | Złoty (pronounced as Zwoty) means "golden" in Polish. |
| Zuz | Israel (old coins) | An ancient Hebrew silver coin equal to 1 Drachm and 1/4 of a Shekel. The Hebrew word Zuz זוז is believed to be derived from Greek Zeus which was portrayed on Drachm coins of the Seleucid Empire. |