How to type Alt+156
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 156 on the numeric keypad. The number row above the letters will not work.
- Release Alt. The pound symbol £ appears.
Alt+156 is a classic code from the CP437 table used by the original IBM PC, which is why there is no leading zero. The same symbol is also available as Alt+0163 on the Windows-1252 table.
On a laptop without a numpad
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, pick the Symbols tab and search for "pound". Or open Character Map from the Start menu. In Microsoft Word you can type 00A3 followed by Alt+X. Some laptops have a hidden numpad on the J, K, L, U, I and O keys that activates with Fn.
On a Mac
Alt codes do not exist on macOS, but this symbol has a shortcut: press Option+3.
In HTML and code
Use £ in HTML, "\00A3" in CSS and "\u00A3" in JavaScript. See the Pound Symbol guide for every platform.
Frequently asked questions
What does Alt+156 type?+
Alt+156 types the pound symbol, £ (Unicode U+00A3). Hold Alt, type 156 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
Why do I need the code without a zero?+
Alt+156 is a classic CP437 code from the original IBM PC character set. It has no leading zero. The same symbol can also be typed as Alt+0163 on the Windows-1252 table.
Alt+156 does not work. Why?+
Check that Num Lock is on and that you are using the numeric keypad rather than the number row. Laptops without a numpad cannot enter Alt codes: use Win + . for the symbol panel, Character Map, or copy the symbol from this page.
How do I type £ on a Mac?+
Press Option+3 on a Mac. Alt codes themselves do not work on macOS.