Travelling somewhere new, shopping from abroad or just curious what your money is worth across the border? Pop in an amount, choose two currencies and get an instant conversion at recent market rates. Then scroll down for a handful of surprising facts about the history and quirks of money around the world.
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The US dollar is the world’s most traded currency
It sits on one side of roughly 88% of all foreign-exchange trades and is the planet’s primary reserve currency, held by central banks everywhere.
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The first coins were minted in ancient Lydia
Around 600 BC, in what is now western Turkey, the kingdom of Lydia struck the earliest known coins from electrum, a natural gold-and-silver alloy.
History
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The word “salary” comes from salt
Roman soldiers were sometimes paid an allowance connected to salt — the Latin salarium — which is also the root of the phrase “worth his salt.”
Fun Fact
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The pound sterling is the oldest currency still in use
Britain’s pound has been in continuous use for more than 1,200 years, dating back to Anglo-Saxon England and a pound’s weight of silver.
History
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The euro is used by 20 countries
Launched as cash in 2002, the euro is now the official currency of 20 EU members and the second most-held reserve currency after the dollar.
Money
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The yen symbol means “round”
The Japanese character for yen, “円,” literally means round — a nod to the shape of the coins that replaced older, irregular forms of money.
Fun Fact
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The Kuwaiti dinar is the highest-valued currency
Thanks to Kuwait’s oil wealth and a tightly managed peg, a single dinar is worth more than any other national currency unit on Earth.
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Zimbabwe once printed a 100-trillion-dollar note
During its late-2000s hyperinflation, prices doubled almost daily and the central bank issued a banknote worth one hundred trillion Zimbabwean dollars.
History
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“Dollar” comes from a Bohemian valley
The name traces to the “thaler,” a silver coin from Joachimsthal in Bohemia. The word spread across Europe and eventually crossed the Atlantic.
History
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There are about 180 currencies in the world
The United Nations recognises some 180 currencies as legal tender across its member states — far fewer than the number of countries plus territories that use them.
Money
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Sweden is going almost cashless
Cash now accounts for only a tiny share of payments in Sweden, where card taps and mobile apps like Swish have all but replaced notes and coins.
Fun Fact
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The islanders who used giant stone money
On the Pacific island of Yap, wealth was measured in massive carved limestone discs called rai — some too heavy to move, so ownership simply changed by agreement.
Fun Fact
How money crosses borders
An exchange rate is simply the price of one currency expressed in another, and like any price it moves constantly — nudged by interest rates, trade, politics and the sheer volume of money changing hands around the clock. The foreign-exchange market is the largest in the world, with trillions of dollars’ worth of currencies traded every single day.
The rates shown here are recent reference rates, refreshed when the page loads. They are perfect for getting a feel for what your money is worth, but the figure you actually receive from a bank, card or bureau de change will differ a little, because each adds its own margin or fee.
Tips for travellers
- Always check the mid-market rate first — it’s the fair benchmark every provider quotes against.
- If a machine offers to charge you in your home currency, politely decline; paying in the local currency is usually cheaper.
- Carry a small amount of local cash for taxis, tips and markets that don’t take cards.
- Watch out for “zero-commission” deals that hide their cost in a poor exchange rate.
Heading abroad? Brush up on a few phrases with the free translator, test yourself with the Word Quest game, or get inspired by our travel guides.