View source for Finance:Won sign

{{Short description|Currency symbol for the Korean won (₩)}}
{{Missing information|the sign's origin|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox currency sign|mark=₩
|unicode  = {{unichar|20A9|Won sign|html=}}
|currency = South Korean won<br />North Korean won<br />Old [[Finance:Korean won|Korean won]]
|variant1=￦
|variant1 caption={{unichar|FFE6|Fullwidth won sign|html=}}
}}

The '''won sign''' {{angbr|₩}}, is a [[Finance:Currency symbol|currency symbol]]. It represents the South Korean won, the North Korean won and,  unofficially, the old [[Finance:Korean won|Korean won]].

== Appearance ==
Its appearance is "W" (the first letter of "Won") with a horizontal strike going through the center. Some fonts display the won sign with two horizontal lines, and others with only one horizontal line. Both forms are used when handwritten.

== Encoding  ==
The [[Unicode]] code point is {{unichar|20A9|Won sign}}: this is valid for either appearance. Additionally, there is a full width character at {{unichar|FFE6|Fullwidth won sign|note=in the block [[Halfwidth and fullwidth forms|halfwidth and fullwidth forms]]}}.

===Microsoft Windows===
In [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]] [[Unified Hangul Code|code page 949]], the position {{code|0x5C}} (backslash) is also used for the won sign.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.miloush.net/michkap/archive/2005/09/17/469941.html|title=When is a backslash not a backslash?|website=archives.miloush.net}}</ref>

In Korean versions of Windows, many fonts (including system fonts) display the backslash character as the won sign. This also applies to the [[Path (computing)|directory separator]] character (for example, {{code|C:₩Program Files₩}}) and the escape character(<code>₩n</code>). Most Korean keyboards input {{code|0x5C}} when the won sign key is pressed,{{dubious|date=June 2020}} so the Unicode letters are rarely used.{{clarify|reason=The scan code generated by the keyboard is handled by the OS and a binary value assigned. So the second phrase doesn't follow logically from the first. Is this intended to say only that most Korean apps are still using x5C? If so, what the keyboard does is irrelevant.|date=June 2020}}

The same issue (of dual use of a code point) occurs with the [[Finance:Yen sign|yen sign]] in Japanese versions of Windows.

===MacOS===
In [[Software:MacOS|macOS]], the won sign key inputs {{unichar|20A9}} only when in Hangul input mode.

== Fictional use ==
In fiction, it is used for the woolong, a fictional currency in anime by Shinichirō Watanabe (''Cowboy Bebop'', ''[[Software:Space Dandy|Space Dandy]]'' and ''Carole & Tuesday''), and for "Kinzcash", the currency of the online game ''[[Software:Webkinz|Webkinz]]''.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
* [[Finance:Pound sign#Double dash style|Pound sign]]


[[Category:Currency symbols]]

{{Sourceattribution|Won sign}}