Why the sign "$" symbolizes the dollar? shouldn't it be symbolized by a "D"??

Answer 1

History

The sign is attested in business correspondence between British North America and Mexico in the 1770s as referring to the Spanish-Mexican peso. The piastre was known as "Spanish dollar" in British North America, and in 1785, it was adopted as U.S. currency, together with both the term "dollar" and the $ sign.

The sign's ultimate origins are not certain. The most widely accepted explanation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, is that "$" is a corruption of the letters "PS" or "PS" (for 'peso', as each letter could represent each syllable of "Pe-So") written over each other in Spanish. Eventually, the 'P' was reduced to a vertical line.

Another possibility is that it derives from the British notation 8/ for eight shilling, referring to the Spanish 8 reales coin ("piece of eight"), which later became the USA dollar. Others derive it from the Portuguese Cifrão sign \mathrm{S}\!\!\!\Vert. In Spain it is said that the sign of the old spanish peso "$" is the left Hercule's Column with the emblem of "Plus Ultra" that appears in the kingdom's Scutcheon of the Spanish Flag (see below).
Spanish Colonial Real
Image of Spanish Colonial Real silver coin, showing PTSI mint mark in lower right quadrant.

Image of 1768 Spanish Colonial Real silver coin, showing PTSI ($) mint mark in lower right quadrant (click image to enlarge). It also shows the columns around the hemispheres (this time displayed one at the side of the other.)

Still another explanation holds that the dollar sign is derived from (or at least inspired by) the mint mark on Spanish colonial silver coins ("real" or "piece of eight") that were minted in Potosí (in present day Bolivia). The mint mark was composed of the letters "PTSI" superimposed on one another, and bears an undeniable resemblance to the single-stroke dollar sign (see picture). The Potosí mine is generally accepted as having been the largest single silver strike in history. Silver coins minted in Potosí would have been in common use in colonial America, and its mintmark widely recognized.

Earliest usage wrote the sign with a single vertical stroke. For some time, the double-stroke symbol

Answer 2

First part of the question: Some people attribute this to the U and S being interlaced (as above). This was popularized in Ayn Rand's (Fiction) story, Atlas Shrugged. This is likely false. A more likely explanation is that the the P and the S interwoven from the Spanish "peso" or "Pe-So" underwent a change to become the familiar $. Still another explanation attributes this to the use of 8/ for eight-shilling which was later used and became the US dollar. Whatever the explanation, the symbol is found historically preceding the name of the "United States" and so it is highly unlikely that it is a derivation of "U S". See this figure for "proof": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Potosi_Real.jpg (Look at the lower left-hand "corner" of the peso real for the S interlaced with the P")

Second question: As far as your second question, there are other recognized "symbols" for the US dollar, including USD. The use of a single ubiqitous letter such as "D" is likely to get confused with other currencies, etc.

Answer 3

As $ is a specific and distinctive identity which clearly represents the ultimate value of Dollar. And a simple Letter D couldn't make Dollar so special.So that's why the sign $ symbolizes the dollar instead of D.

Answer 4

The dollar sign, which stands for "U.S." was created by writing the U and the S on top of one another. This gave us the dollar sign with two vertical lines. This is now usually written with just one vertical line in it.

Answer 5

It was made from the letters US. Put the U over the S and you got your symbol. Almost.

Answer 6

It used to be more obvious, because you'd often see $ with two vertical lines instead of one. But wow, you don't see that much anymore, do you, that's sort of faded away with the use of PC's in the last 20 years, I think.

Answer 7

The sign "D" is already utilized for other currencies and units, and so would cause confusion. As it stands, $ is distinctive and so instantly recognizable.

Also, its historical basis lends itself to continued use.

Answer 8

USD is another symbol (US dollar)

Answer 9

haha.. great, i agree :)