The symbol €, used for the euro, can be described as:
1. Iconic: The € symbol is recognized worldwide as the official currency symbol for the euro, which is used by 19 of the 27 European Union countries. It has become a familiar and widely used symbol in the context of European currency.
2. Arbitrary: The design of the € symbol was not based on any specific historical or cultural reference. It was created as a new symbol to represent the euro currency, chosen through a design competition. Therefore, it can be considered arbitrary in its creation.
In summary, the € symbol is iconic for representing the euro currency and was arbitrarily designed to serve this purpose.
