rupee symbol
About rupee symbol
₨ is the rupee symbol, a currency sign used to denote the rupee, the official monetary unit of several South Asian countries. The rupee symbol traditionally represents the Indian rupee, Pakistani rupee, Nepalese rupee, Sri Lankan rupee, and Mauritian rupee. The rupee symbol is derived from the first letter 'R' of the word "Rupee" combined with a double horizontal stroke (or a single stroke in some typefaces), giving it a distinctive appearance that clearly identifies it as a currency marker.
The rupee symbol ₨ takes the form of the capital letter 'R' with one or two crossbars, written either as Rs (with a dot) in some contexts or as the single character ₨ in others. As a Unicode character officially named RUPEE SIGN, the rupee symbol holds codepoint U+20A8 within the Currency Symbols Unicode block, ensuring consistent display across major fonts and platforms, though some older systems may not support the rupee symbol natively.
【Historical Origin】 The word "rupee" derives from the Sanskrit word "rūpya" meaning "wrought silver" or "coin of silver." The rupee symbol has been in use since British colonial times, when it was written as Rs. or Re. for singular. The single-character rupee symbol ₨ became standardized with the advent of digital typography and Unicode encoding, though it has been largely superseded by India's new official symbol ₹ (U+20B9) since 2010.
【Modern Status】 It is important to distinguish between two different rupee symbols: the older rupee symbol ₨ (U+20A8) and India's new official rupee symbol ₹ (U+20B9). While ₨ was used historically and continues to be used in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius, India officially adopted the ₹ symbol in 2010 to give the Indian rupee a unique national identity. The rupee symbol ₨ thus represents a broader South Asian monetary heritage, while ₹ is specifically the symbol for the Indian rupee.
How to Type rupee symbol
Windows Input
Method 1: Hold Alt and type 8360 on the numeric keypad; Method 2: Use the Character Map tool to find and copy the rupee symbol ₨; Method 3: Type lubi (pinyin for rupee) in the Microsoft Pinyin input method and look for ₨ in the candidate list.
Mac Input
Method 1: Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, then search for "rupee sign" or "rupee symbol"; Method 2: Use the emoji and symbols keyboard to find ₨ under currency symbols; Method 3: Type lubi in the input method and select the rupee symbol from candidates.
HTML/CSS Input
HTML: ₨ or ₨; CSS: content: "\20A8";
LaTeX Input
Use \text{Rs.} in text mode (with the amstext package) to represent the rupee symbol; alternatively, use \rlap{\raisebox{0.1ex}{\_}}{R} to create a custom rupee symbol for the older ₨ style if needed.
rupee symbol FAQ
What is the difference between the rupee symbol ₨ and the new Indian rupee symbol ₹?
The rupee symbol ₨ (U+20A8) is the older traditional symbol used across South Asia, while ₹ (U+20B9) is the new official symbol adopted by India in 2010 to uniquely represent the Indian rupee. The ₨ symbol is still used in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Mauritius, whereas ₹ is exclusively used for the Indian rupee. Both represent the same currency name but have different visual designs and Unicode codepoints.
How do I type the rupee symbol ₨ on my smartphone?
On iPhone/iPad: Open the emoji and symbols keyboard, navigate to the currency symbols section, and tap ₨. On Android: Switch to the symbols keyboard, look for currency symbols, and select the rupee symbol ₨. If you cannot find ₨ on your default keyboard, consider installing a third-party keyboard like Gboard that includes a comprehensive currency symbols page for easier access.
Why is the rupee symbol ₨ sometimes displayed as 'Rs' instead of the single character?
The rupee symbol ₨ may display as 'Rs' or 'Rs.' instead of the single character for two main reasons: ① The font being used does not support the Unicode codepoint U+20A8, so the system falls back to the text representation; ② Many older documents and financial systems predate Unicode adoption and use the traditional 'Rs.' abbreviation. The single-character rupee symbol ₨ is more common in modern digital typography.
What is the Unicode codepoint for the rupee symbol ₨?
The Unicode codepoint for the rupee symbol ₨ is U+20A8. Its decimal HTML entity is ₨ and its hexadecimal entity is ₨. The rupee symbol resides in the Currency Symbols Unicode block (U+20A0–U+20CF). For the new Indian rupee symbol ₹, the codepoint is U+20B9.
Which countries use the rupee symbol ₨ as their currency sign?
The rupee symbol ₨ is used as the official currency sign for the Pakistani rupee (PKR), Nepalese rupee (NPR), Sri Lankan rupee (LKR), and Mauritian rupee (MUR). Historically, it was also used for the Indian rupee before India adopted the new ₹ symbol in 2010. The symbol ₨ therefore represents a regional currency heritage shared by multiple South Asian and island nations.