The dollar sign, also known as the peso sign, is a currency symbol consisting of a capital ⟨S⟩ crossed with one or two vertical strokes ($ or
depending on typeface), used to indicate the unit of various currencies around the world, including most currencies denominated "dollar" or "peso". The explicitly double-barred
sign is called cifrão in the Portuguese language.
The sign is also used in several compound currency symbols, such as the Brazilian real (R$) and the United States dollar (US$): in local use, the nationality prefix is usually omitted. In countries that have other currency symbols, the US dollar is often assumed and the "US" prefix omitted.