� sign

[north star]

What is the reason ( if any) that we put the '�' sign in front of the number eg, twenty pounds is written �20, yet twenty volts is written 20 V, or 20 litres is written 20 l.

In addition if I was to write 'fifty pence', I would write 50 p and not p 50.

[Quizmonster]

In an edition of The Law Journal published in 1885, a post was advertised offering "a salary of 4l. a week", but - as long ago as the 1750s - there is a recorded statement reading "To pay said sum of �54 14 0 money."
Clearly, both a lower-case 'l' or an upper-case 'L' or the stylised symbol '�' were all in use at various occasions, sometimes simultaneously it would seem, appearing either before or after the amount. At some point in the past century or so, the universal use of '�' came about presumably - like most such things - just by general usage.

[taichiperson]

Perhaps because pence (or shillings) follow? i.e. �2.50 is two rounds and fifty pence, rather than two and a half pounds or two point five pounds?

[Mortartube]

Probably to show that the figure quoted (pounds), is to the left of the decimal point, whilst pence are to the right of the decimal point.

[Quizmonster]

�2 15s 6d used to be the way in which the figures were written...ie the 's' and the 'd' followed the figures for shillings and pence and never - to my knowledge - preceded them, Taichi.
British currency did not acquire a decimal point until 1971, Mortartube, so I can't see why that would explain the use of � before the figure for hundreds of years before that time.
But what the hey!

[north star]

My thanks for your time and thoughts. I did delve the internet before posting, Wikipedia (!) just says that the'�' sign precedes the figure in a similar way to the US $.

Another idiosyncracy (sp?) of english grammar / usage / syntax I suppose.

[Peter Pedant]

There should be more on it in the internet

QM is right in pointing out in the nineteenth century � was a little el and followed the sum,

H M Treasury disbursed a sum of 6 000 000l

and so on - the l at the end is a little el.

The cross thro, the copper plate capital was done to mimic the dollar sign,and this is taken upin Yen and Euro which are E and Y with bars through it.

The change from little el to � was well on the way by 1900.