Newsgroups: sci.lang
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From: jcf@world.std.com (Joseph C Fineman)
Subject: Re: The origin of "$", the dollar sign?
Message-ID: <D4H5vH.8EM@world.std.com>
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
References: <3ih3hr$3c5@uwm.edu> <jon-2102951058550001@hfmac323.uio.no> <azog.5.000BFE6F@gti.gti.net> <D4Ex56.2up@freenet.carleton.ca> <D4GEMA.BHz@freenet.carleton.ca>
Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 22:45:17 GMT
Lines: 15

aa318@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (John Coughlin) writes:

>This does not explain the origin of the "x" at the bottom of the Rx symbol.

It isn't an x; it's just a stroke across the right leg of the R, to
indicate that it's an abbreviation.  Printers who don't have the
"recipe" symbol in their font sometimes set it as "Rx".

I don't know if this use of a stroke was systematic.  It may be
related to the solidus used in such business abbreviations as c/o &
a/c.
-- 
        Joe Fineman             jcf@world.std.com
        239 Clinton Road        (617) 731-9190
        Brookline, MA 02146
