Currency Codes
ISO 4217 three-letter codes, symbols and regions for major currencies like CNY, USD, EUR, JPY and GBP.
How It Works
ISO 4217 identifies currencies with a three-letter code plus a three-digit number (USD, CNY, EUR, JPY), removing ambiguity where the same symbol or character names different currencies. Exchange rates float in the FX market, so a code's value changes over time.
Currency symbols (¥, $, €) are not unique — ¥ means both RMB and JPY, and $ is used by many countries. Machines and cross-border settlement therefore rely on ISO 4217 codes, not symbols; some currencies like JPY also have zero decimal places, a common localization trap.
| Currency | ISO 4217 | Symbol | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese Yuan | CNY | ¥ | 中国 |
| Hong Kong Dollar | HKD | HK$ | 中国香港 |
| Macanese Pataca | MOP | MOP$ | 中国澳门 |
| US Dollar | USD | $ | 美国 |
| Euro | EUR | € | 欧元区 |
| Japanese Yen | JPY | ¥ | 日本 |
| Pound Sterling | GBP | £ | 英国 |
| South Korean Won | KRW | ₩ | 韩国 |
| Russian Ruble | RUB | ₽ | 俄罗斯 |
| Canadian Dollar | CAD | C$ | 加拿大 |
| Australian Dollar | AUD | A$ | 澳大利亚 |
| Swiss Franc | CHF | Fr | 瑞士 |
| Indian Rupee | INR | ₹ | 印度 |
| Brazilian Real | BRL | R$ | 巴西 |
| Singapore Dollar | SGD | S$ | 新加坡 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How are the three letters of an ISO 4217 code determined?
Usually country code (2 letters) + currency initial: CN (China) + Y (Yuan) = CNY; in USD, US is the country and D stands for Dollar. Some are historical exceptions (e.g. GBP). The numeric code (e.g. 156 for CNY) is unrelated to the letters.
Both CNY and JPY use ¥ — how to tell them apart?
Yes, they share ¥. Disambiguate in writing by the ISO code: CNY (Chinese Yuan) vs JPY (Japanese Yen). In UI, show the code or a localized symbol (e.g. RMB for CNY, JP¥ for JPY) to avoid confusion.
Why do some currencies have no decimals (JPY, KRW)?
The smallest unit differs: JPY and KRW are counted in whole yen/won with no subunit, so 0 decimal places; CNY and USD have jiao/fen, so 2 decimals. ISO 4217 records this in the minor-unit field.
Does Bitcoin (BTC) have an ISO 4217 code?
No official ISO 4217 code. ISO reserves XBT as a non-official/experimental code (X prefix = non-country), but most exchanges still use BTC. Commodities like gold are also outside ISO 4217.