Currency and percentage in numeric evaluation

[Richard Gaskin]

I need to evaluate a large number of short strings to determine whether 
they are numeric.  Some of these are percentages, and include the "%", 
and others are currency and can contain "$". the Euro, Yen, or any 
number of other signs.

With dates we have a convenient test:  try to convert it, and if it 
fails it will tell you why.

But we have no such convenience with percentages and currency.  So what 
is the most efficient (heck, I'd settle for reasonable efficient) way to 
determine if a string is numeric given the wide range of currency 
formats in common use?

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Media Corporation
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