diff --git a/.changeset/localization-no-default-currency.md b/.changeset/localization-no-default-currency.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a11e104570
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/localization-no-default-currency.md
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+'@objectstack/service-settings': minor
+---
+
+Localization: drop the hard-coded `USD` platform default for the workspace **Default currency** setting.
+
+Previously the `localization.currency` setting defaulted to `'USD'`, and that value was applied to any `currency`-typed field that omits its own code — so every code-less amount surfaced a `$`/`US$` symbol even when nothing (field, measure, or workspace) actually named a currency. The setting now has **no platform default**: a code-less currency amount renders as a plain number unless the workspace explicitly picks a default currency (or the field declares its own).
+
+Migration: a workspace that relied on the implicit USD default and wants to keep showing `$` should set **Settings → Localization → Default currency** to `USD` explicitly. Fields/measures that declare their own currency code are unaffected.
diff --git a/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.test.ts b/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.test.ts
index 72ee73d755..b47814f1f0 100644
--- a/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.test.ts
+++ b/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.test.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,10 @@ describe('localizationSettingsManifest', () => {
     const byKey = (k: string) => specs.find((s) => s.key === k);
     expect(byKey('timezone').default).toBe('UTC');
     expect(byKey('locale').default).toBe('en-US');
-    expect(byKey('currency').default).toBe('USD');
+    // No platform default currency: a code-less currency field renders as a
+    // plain number unless the workspace explicitly sets one (avoids surfacing
+    // an unwanted "$"/"US$" on every amount that omits its own code).
+    expect(byKey('currency').default).toBeUndefined();
     expect(byKey('date_format').default).toBe('YYYY-MM-DD');
     expect(byKey('first_day_of_week').default).toBe('monday');
     expect(byKey('fiscal_year_start').default).toBe('january');
diff --git a/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.ts b/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.ts
index 3d9b33d070..748b782022 100644
--- a/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.ts
+++ b/packages/services/service-settings/src/manifests/localization.manifest.ts
@@ -111,8 +111,13 @@ export const localizationSettingsManifest: SettingsManifest = {
     // ── Finance ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
     { type: 'group', id: 'finance', label: 'Finance', required: false },
     {
-      type: 'select', key: 'currency', label: 'Default currency', required: false, default: 'USD',
-      description: 'ISO 4217 code applied when a currency field omits its own.',
+      type: 'select', key: 'currency', label: 'Default currency', required: false,
+      // No platform default: when a currency field omits its own code AND the
+      // workspace has not set a default here, amounts render as plain numbers
+      // rather than inheriting a guessed symbol (previously hard-defaulted to
+      // 'USD', which surfaced an unwanted "$"/"US$" on every code-less amount).
+      // A workspace can still pick a default to apply org-wide.
+      description: 'ISO 4217 code applied when a currency field omits its own. Leave unset to render code-less amounts as plain numbers.',
       options: [
         { value: 'USD', label: 'USD — US Dollar' },
         { value: 'EUR', label: 'EUR — Euro' },