How do you draw a cursive dollar sign?

Letter a narrow cursive 'S' from the upper waistline down to the baseline, then add a single vertical stroke through its centre that extends slightly above and below the S. Keep the vertical perfectly centred and aligned with the slope of your numerals.

Why does the dollar sign sometimes have two vertical bars?

The two-bar version (sometimes called 'cifrão') is historically older and is still standard for some currencies like the Brazilian real and Cape Verdean escudo. Modern U.S. and most international typography uses the single-bar version, but designers occasionally use the double bar for a vintage or formal look.

Where did the $ symbol come from?

The most widely accepted theory is that it evolved from the Spanish-American peso, abbreviated 'PS'. Over time the 'P' was written on top of the 'S', and the loop of the P merged with the S to leave a vertical stroke through it. The symbol was used for pesos before being adopted for the U.S. dollar in the late 18th century.

Vol. IV · Est. 2024

Cursive GenerationThe Art of Beautiful Writing

Medium Difficulty

How to Write the Dollar sign $ in Cursive

The cursive dollar sign is essentially a stylised letter 'S' bisected by one or two vertical strokes. It appears most often in pricing — chalkboard menus, market signs, hand-lettered promotional posters — and on financial illustrations. The challenge in cursive is to keep the 'S' shape recognisable without letting the vertical bar overpower it.

The Dollar sign ($) in 18 Cursive Fonts

See how the dollar sign looks across every cursive font in our collection. Each font gives the symbol a unique personality — from formal calligraphic scripts to casual modern handwriting.

Tangerine

Dancing Script

Great Vibes

Parisienne

Sacramento

Kaushan Script

Alex Brush

Caveat

Mr De Haviland

Satisfy

Allura

Yellowtail

Arizonia

Bad Script

Berkshire Swash

Marck Script

Petit Formal Script

Pinyon Script

Want to see the dollar sign inside a phrase?

Try our Cursive Generator to type any text containing the dollar sign and preview it in all 18 fonts instantly.

How to Write the Dollar sign ($) Step by Step

Letter a tall, narrow cursive 'S' starting at the upper waistline, curving counter-clockwise to the midline, then clockwise to the baseline. Without lifting (or as a separate stroke), draw a single vertical line that passes through the centre of the S from the top of the upper curve to the bottom of the lower curve. Some traditions use two parallel vertical strokes instead of one.

Common Mistakes

✗ Drawing the 'S' too short so the vertical bar dominates
✗ Letting the vertical drift off-centre, making the symbol look unbalanced
✗ Not extending the vertical above and below the S, which weakens the symbol's silhouette
✗ Slanting the vertical when the surrounding numerals are upright
✗ Using a thick vertical that visually obscures the curves of the S

Stylistic Variations of the Dollar sign

Different ways to draw the dollar sign

Single-bar dollar sign — the modern standard, used in most fonts
Double-bar dollar sign — historically more common in print, still seen in formal financial notation
Cifrão — a Portuguese variant with two vertical bars, used for the Brazilian real and other currencies
Brush dollar sign — bold S with a hairline vertical, popular in lettering for sale posters

Where the Dollar sign ($) Is Used

Real-world contexts where this symbol earns its place in cursive lettering.

$Chalkboard menus and price tags ('$5 lunch special')
$Hand-lettered sale and promotional posters
$Greeting cards congratulating raises, promotions, or financial milestones
$Logos for finance, fintech, and cryptocurrency brands
$Tip jars and donation signs at cafés and markets

Practice Tips for the Cursive Dollar sign

1Drill the cursive 'S' shape on its own first — this is the foundation of the dollar sign.
2Practise centring the vertical bar by lightly sketching it before committing in ink.
3When pricing on a chalkboard, letter the entire amount ('$12') as a single unit so the dollar sign and digits share weight and slope.
4Try both single- and double-bar versions to feel which suits your style.

Ready to practise?

Generate a custom worksheet that includes the dollar sign alongside letters and numbers using our Practice Sheet Generator, or try the symbol in real phrases with the Cursive Generator.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Cursive Dollar sign

Frequently Asked Questions

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