bitcoin symbol adjustment proposal

[Nivco]

I like the concept of having a proper Trademark (legally speaking : serving to identify the source of goods/service, with secondary meaning, widely interpreted/known by the public as one precise good/service)
Yet I disagree on copying the design of a regular gold-ish coin. If we create a new currency, why keep the old meaning of a coin (especially a virtual one). I feel the same way when a new website/service appears with old symbol for mail (the simple letter) or search (the looking glass). Let's do something new !
As for the Baht debate, is the national Thaïland currency symbol different (simple straight vertical line in middle of the B, cf Wikipedia) ?

[BitCoinBarter]

It would be royalty free if people want to use it of course.

added downloads to vector formats and PNG in top post. Will add some more soon.

Thanks. You are the man!!!

[edgeworth]

Thanks. You are the man!!!

No worries, let me know if you use it anywhere so I can check it out in the wild!

I like the concept of having a proper Trademark (legally speaking : serving to identify the source of goods/service, with secondary meaning, widely interpreted/known by the public as one precise good/service)
Yet I disagree on copying the design of a regular gold-ish coin. If we create a new currency, why keep the old meaning of a coin (especially a virtual one). I feel the same way when a new website/service appears with old symbol for mail (the simple letter) or search (the looking glass). Let's do something new !
As for the Baht debate, is the national Thaïland currency symbol different (simple straight vertical line in middle of the B, cf Wikipedia) ?

You can implement the symbol anyway you like. If you have any ideas, let me know.

[edgeworth]

Are we discussing an abstract symbol (glyph) or logo? If it is decided (against my lone protests) the abstract symbol is a B with two slashes, then I think your logo is lovely. It has clean lines, no cramping, I agree you accomplished your goals. But are you also suggesting a modification to the abstraction? That other logos imply three vertical lines whereas you propose only two (something like a 3 with || rather than a B with ||). These seems a question of penmanship or font rather than glyph. Am I mistaken (I'm willing to bow to your typographic superiority on this one)?

I am talking about both really as one follows the other but more-so the abstract symbol and its specifications: That the symbol for bitcoin should be interpreted as being a # sign combined with a B, so that the symbol only has two vertical lines, something exactly like you say 'a 3 with || rather than a B with ||'. Indeed the bitcoin symbol we most often see could call itself a stylised version of my exact proposal but I feel it gives the impression that it is more a 'B' with two added vertical lines for a total of three vertical lines.

[netrin]

emphasize the # ?

http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/3629/hashbtc.jpg

[edgeworth]

Is that a B shape with two slashes intersecting the top arc only? It looks well.

[Rob12345]

What's the point, if you can't type it?! A bit premature really I think. Wait till bitcoin becomes mainstream, till then BTC is fine.

[netrin]

Is that a B shape with two slashes intersecting the top arc only? It looks well.

Precisely. It's to emphasis the hash-backed nature of the currency.

It don't have the tools to 'normalize' this, but an italic #3 where the top two horizontals of the 3 intersect with the horizontals of the #.

What's the point, if you can't type it?! A bit premature really I think. Wait till bitcoin becomes mainstream, till then BTC is fine.

I agree completely as for a currency glyph. But a logo is important, considering any currency is perception, perception, perception.

[edgeworth]

Another point is that for unicode to accept a new character, it has to be shown that it is in wide use.

[J180]

How about a circle, representing the coin? Example >

[NOTtheMessiah]

Yet I disagree on copying the design of a regular gold-ish coin. If we create a new currency, why keep the old meaning of a coin (especially a virtual one). I feel the same way when a new website/service appears with old symbol for mail (the simple letter) or search (the looking glass). Let's do something new !

Exactly. The gold coin rendered logo looks a bit awkward with the new symbol because the stroke width is uniform and the design is simple, makes it look more like an arcade token than the serifed letters made to last the wear and tear of daily use as a currency. Not the kind of thing to inspire confidence in a currency when it looks like a disposable token. We need to subtly and symbolically communicate how the collective computing power of a P2P network can supersede the scarcity of precious metals. This new symbol looks good, just not on a metallic coin.

[J180]

Another direction I want to suggest, the 1 and o represents a bit and a coin:

[TierNolan]

I assume that people have gone through the entire unicode table ?

I did a quick scan, but none are that great and the b circle one was already picked out.

ᴃ

Ⓑ

ち

[deebug]

I'm still ok with the Thai Baht symbol. It's not like the dollar sign is uniquely used. (Canadian, Australian, Brazilian Real, ...) but those currencies have a historical tie, unlike bitcoin and Baht.

Also an existing Unicode char would be easier. Just my 0.5 BTC.

Imo bitcoin is about freedom and no restrictions, no need to force those rules on it. Let it grow and eventually one symbol will stand out and live on.

Meanwhile enjoy the creative results that flow out of this initiative.

Not my best English, but iPad and autocorrect... Sheesh!

[netrin]

I'm still ok with the Thai Baht symbol. It's not like the dollar sign is uniquely used. (Canadian, Australian, Brazilian Real, ...) but those currencies have a historical tie, unlike bitcoin and Baht.

I am not a fan of using the Thai Baht, but don't care much. None the less here's my contribution (not Unicode) which emphasises bitcoin's cryptographic hash (#) backed nature.



But it turns out the Baht was a unit of weight that was originally base 2 - binary!

bia    เบี้ย    1⁄6400 Baht    cowrie; a very small amount of money; a counter used in gambling
solot    โสฬส or โสฬศ    1⁄128 Baht
att or ath    อัฐ    1⁄64 Baht    
sio or py    เสี้ยว เซี่ยว or ไพ    1⁄32 Baht    a quarter (feuang)
sik    ซีก or สิ้ก    1⁄16 Baht    a section; a half (feuang)
feuang    เฟื้อง    ⅛ Baht    
salung    สลึง    ¼ Baht    a quarter (baht)
mayon    มายน or มะยง    ½ Baht    
baht    บาท    1 Baht    1 tical, from Portuguese, from Malay tikal [3]
tamleung (of silver)    ตำลึง (หน่วยเงิน)    4 baht    a gourd; weight of silver equal to four baht, or ~60 grams

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_baht#History

[Leon]

Nah I like the B with /

[petemole83]

I think that having a recognisable symbol is important, but I wonder whether basing it on the "B" is too anglophone-specific. A global currency should be recognisable in any language.

[deepceleron]

I think that having a recognisable symbol is important, but I wonder whether basing it on the "B" is too anglophone-specific. A global currency should be recognisable in any language.

And a currency based on a letter "S" can't be recognizable? What about $?

The dollar symbol can be written as an S with a complete strike through, or a partial strike-through (with just ticks on the top and the bottom). Likewise it can have a single or a double strike. All are representative of dollars. This shows that a currency does not need one absolute glyph. The strikethrough of the ASCII $ even changes between these four representations by just changing the font face.

The same dollar sign is used for currencies of many countries, not just the US. Besides dollars issued by other countries, pesos also use the $ glyph. Bitcoins and Baht sharing the same ฿ symbol is fine, as we see by example that varied world currencies already share the same symbol.

A double-strikethrough is very common in currency symbols, making the glyph easily recognizable as representative of money (₳  ₡  €  ₱  ₩ ¥ etc). Therefore it would be ideal to migrate to a B of Bitcoin having double-ticks on the top and bottom to make the symbol more universally identifiable as currency but without being illegible from two complete strikethroughs. Barring this symbol being added to Unicode though, the ฿ shall do when represented in typography instead of logo form, and it can be handwritten with one slash instead of four.