A euro light sculpture at the European Central Bank in Frankfurt.

Placement of the sign also varies. Partly since there are no official standards on placement, countries have generated varying conventions or sustained those of their former currencies. For example, in Ireland and the Netherlands where previous currency signs (£ and ƒ, respectively) were placed before the figure, the euro sign is universally placed in the same position. In many other countries, including France, Germany and Spain, an amount such as €3.50 is often written as 3,50 € or 3€50 instead, largely in accordance with conventions for previous currencies.

In English-language use, as with the pound sign (£), the euro sign is generally placed before the figure, as used by publications such as the Financial Times and The Economist.

No official recommendation is made with regard to the use of a cent sign, and usage differs between and within member states. Sums are often expressed as decimals of the euro (for example €0.05 or €–.05 rather than 5c). The most common abbreviation is "c", but the cent sign "¢" also appears. Other abbreviations include "ct" (particularly in Germany and Spain), "snt" (Finland) and Λ (the capital letter lambda for λεπτό, "lepto", in Greece).