ISO 4217 is the
international standard describing
three-letter codes (also known as the
currency
code) to define the names of
currencies established by the
International
Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO 4217 code list
is the established norm in
banking and
business all over the world for defining
different currencies, and in many countries the codes for the more
common currencies are so well known publicly, that
exchange rates published in newspapers or
posted in
banks use only these to define the
different currencies, instead of translated currency names or
ambiguous
currency symbols. ISO 4217
codes are used on
airline tickets
and international
train tickets to remove any
ambiguity about the price.
Code Formation
The first two letters of the code are the two letters of
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country codes (which are also used as the
basis for
national
top-level domains on the
Internet) and
the third is usually the initial of the currency itself.
So
Japan
's currency code is JPY—JP for
Japan and Y for yen. This eliminates the
problem caused by the names
dollar,
franc and
pound being used in dozens of
different countries, each having significantly differing values.
Also, if a currency is revalued, the currency code's last letter is
changed to distinguish it from the old currency. In some cases, the
third letter is the initial for "new" in that country's language,
to distinguish it from an older currency that was revalued; the
code sometimes outlasts the usage of the term "new" itself (for
example, the code for the
Mexican peso
is
MXN). Other changes can be seen, however; the
Russian ruble, for example, changed
from
RUR to
RUB, where the B
comes from the third letter in the word "ruble".
There is also a three-digit code number assigned to each currency,
in the same manner as there is also a three-digit code number
assigned to each country as part of
ISO
3166. This numeric code is usually the same as the
ISO 3166-1 numeric code. For example, USD
(
US Dollar) has code 840 which is also the
numeric code for the US (United States).
The standard also defines the relationship between the major
currency unit and any minor currency unit. Often, the minor
currency unit has a value that is 1/100 of the major unit, but
1/1000 is also common. Some currencies do not have any minor
currency unit at all. In others, the major currency unit has so
little value that the minor unit is no longer generally used (e.g.
the Japanese
sen, 1/100th of a yen). This is indicated in
the standard by the currency exponent. For example, USD has
exponent 2, while JPY has exponent 0.
Mauritania
does not use a decimal division of units, setting 1
ouguiya (UM) = 5 khoums, and Madagascar
has 1 ariary = 5 iraimbilanja.
ISO 4217 includes codes not only for currencies, but also for
precious metals (
gold,
silver,
palladium and
platinum; by definition expressed per one
troy ounce, as compared to "1 USD") and
certain other entities used in international finance, e.g.
Special Drawing Rights. There are
also special codes allocated for testing purposes
(
XTS), and to indicate no currency transactions
(
XXX). These codes all begin with the letter "X".
The precious metals use "X" plus the metal's
chemical symbol; silver, for example, is
XAG.
ISO 3166 never assigns country codes
beginning with "X", these codes being assigned for privately
customized use only (reserved, never for official codes)—for
instance, the ISO 3166-based NATO
country codes (STANAG 1059, 9th edition) use "X"
codes for imaginary exercise countries ranging from XXB for
"Brownland" to XXR for "Redland", as well as for major commands
such as XXE for SHAPE
or XXS for
SACLANT. Consequently, ISO 4217 can
use "X" codes for non-country-specific currencies without risk of
clashing with future country codes.
Supranational currencies, such as the
East Caribbean dollar, the
CFP franc, the
CFA
franc BEAC and the CFA franc BCEAO are normally also
represented by codes beginning with an "X". The
euro is represented by the code
EUR
(EU is included in the
ISO 3166-1
reserved codes list to represent the
European Union). The predecessor to the euro,
the
European Currency Unit
(ECU), had the code XEU.
History
In 1973, the ISO Technical Committee 68 decided to develop codes
for the representation of currencies and funds for use in any
application of trade, commerce or banking. At the 17th session
(February 1978) of the related
UN/
ECE Group of
Experts agreed that the three-letter alphabetic codes for
International Standard ISO 4217, "Codes for the representation of
currencies and funds", would be suitable for use in international
trade.
Over time, new currencies are created and old currencies are
discontinued. Frequently, these changes are due to new governments
(through war or a new constitution), treaties between countries
standardizing on a currency, or revaluation of the currency due to
excessive inflation. As a result, the list of codes must be updated
from time to time. The ISO 4217 maintenance agency (MA),
SIX Interbank Clearing, is
responsible for maintaining the list of codes.
Active codes
The following is a list of active codes of official ISO 4217
currency names.
| Code |
Num |
|
Currency |
Locations using this currency |
| AED |
784 |
2 |
United Arab Emirates
dirham |
United Arab Emirates |
| AFN |
971 |
2 |
Afghani |
Afghanistan |
| ALL |
008 |
2 |
Lek |
Albania |
| AMD |
051 |
0 |
Armenian dram |
Armenia |
| ANG |
532 |
2 |
Netherlands Antillean
guilder |
Netherlands Antilles |
| AOA |
973 |
1 |
Kwanza |
Angola |
| ARS |
032 |
2 |
Argentine peso |
Argentina |
| AUD |
036 |
2 |
Australian dollar |
Australia, Australian Antarctic
Territory, Christmas
Island , Cocos Islands , Heard and McDonald Islands , Kiribati , Nauru, Norfolk
Island , Tuvalu |
| AWG |
533 |
2 |
Aruban guilder |
Aruba |
| AZN |
944 |
2 |
Azerbaijanian manat |
Azerbaijan |
| BAM |
977 |
2 |
Convertible
marks |
Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| BBD |
052 |
2 |
Barbados dollar |
Barbados |
| BDT |
050 |
2 |
Bangladeshi taka |
Bangladesh |
| BGN |
975 |
2 |
Bulgarian lev |
Bulgaria |
| BHD |
048 |
3 |
Bahraini dinar |
Bahrain |
| BIF |
108 |
0 |
Burundian franc |
Burundi |
| BMD |
060 |
2 |
Bermudian dollar (customarily
known as Bermuda dollar) |
Bermuda |
| BND |
096 |
2 |
Brunei dollar |
Brunei , Singapore |
| BOB |
068 |
2 |
Boliviano |
Bolivia |
| BOV |
984 |
2 |
Bolivian Mvdol (funds code) |
Bolivia |
| BRL |
986 |
2 |
Brazilian real |
Brazil |
| BSD |
044 |
2 |
Bahamian dollar |
Bahamas |
| BTN |
064 |
2 |
Ngultrum |
Bhutan |
| BWP |
072 |
2 |
Pula |
Botswana |
| BYR |
974 |
0 |
Belarusian ruble |
Belarus |
| BZD |
084 |
2 |
Belize dollar |
Belize |
| CAD |
124 |
2 |
Canadian dollar |
Canada |
| CDF |
976 |
2 |
Franc Congolais |
Democratic Republic of Congo |
| CHE |
947 |
2 |
WIR euro (complementary currency) |
Switzerland |
| CHF |
756 |
2 |
Swiss franc |
Switzerland , Liechtenstein |
| CHW |
948 |
2 |
WIR franc (complementary currency) |
Switzerland |
| CLF |
990 |
0 |
Unidad de Fomento (funds
code) |
Chile |
| CLP |
152 |
0 |
Chilean peso |
Chile |
| CNY |
156 |
1 |
Chinese Yuan |
China
(Mainland) |
| COP |
170 |
0 |
Colombian peso |
Colombia |
| COU |
970 |
2 |
Unidad de Valor Real |
Colombia |
| CRC |
188 |
2 |
Costa Rican colon |
Costa
Rica |
| CUC |
931 |
2 |
Cuban convertible
peso |
Cuba |
| CUP |
192 |
2 |
Cuban peso |
Cuba |
| CVE |
132 |
2 |
Cape Verde escudo |
Cape
Verde |
| CZK |
203 |
2 |
Czech Koruna |
Czech Republic |
| DJF |
262 |
0 |
Djibouti franc |
Djibouti |
| DKK |
208 |
2 |
Danish krone |
Denmark , Faroe
Islands , Greenland |
| DOP |
214 |
2 |
Dominican peso |
Dominican Republic |
| DZD |
012 |
2 |
Algerian dinar |
Algeria |
| EEK |
233 |
2 |
Kroon |
Estonia |
| EGP |
818 |
2 |
Egyptian pound |
Egypt |
| ERN |
232 |
2 |
Nakfa |
Eritrea |
| ETB |
230 |
2 |
Ethiopian birr |
Ethiopia |
| EUR |
978 |
2 |
euro |
16
European Union countries, Andorra , Kosovo , Monaco , Montenegro , San
Marino , Vatican ; see eurozone |
| FJD |
242 |
2 |
Fiji dollar |
Fiji |
| FKP |
238 |
2 |
Falkland Islands
pound |
Falkland Islands |
| GBP |
826 |
2 |
Pound sterling |
United Kingdom , Crown
Dependencies (the Isle of
Man and the Channel
Islands), certain British Overseas Territories
(South Georgia and the South Sandwich
Islands , British
Antarctic Territory and British
Indian Ocean Territory ) |
| GEL |
981 |
2 |
Lari |
Georgia |
| GHS |
936 |
2 |
Cedi |
Ghana |
| GIP |
292 |
2 |
Gibraltar pound |
Gibraltar |
| GMD |
270 |
2 |
Dalasi |
Gambia |
| GNF |
324 |
0 |
Guinea franc |
Guinea |
| GTQ |
320 |
2 |
Quetzal |
Guatemala |
| GYD |
328 |
2 |
Guyana dollar |
Guyana |
| HKD |
344 |
2 |
Hong Kong dollar |
Hong
Kong Special
Administrative Region |
| HNL |
340 |
2 |
Lempira |
Honduras |
| HRK |
191 |
2 |
Croatian kuna |
Croatia |
| HTG |
332 |
2 |
Haiti gourde |
Haiti |
| HUF |
348 |
2 |
Forint |
Hungary |
| IDR |
360 |
0 |
Rupiah |
Indonesia |
| ILS |
376 |
2 |
Israeli new sheqel |
Israel |
| INR |
356 |
2 |
Indian rupee |
Bhutan , India |
| IQD |
368 |
0 |
Iraqi dinar |
Iraq |
| IRR |
364 |
0 |
Iranian rial |
Iran |
| ISK |
352 |
0 |
Iceland krona |
Iceland |
| JMD |
388 |
2 |
Jamaican dollar |
Jamaica |
| JOD |
400 |
3 |
Jordanian dinar |
Jordan |
| JPY |
392 |
0 |
Japanese yen |
Japan |
| KES |
404 |
2 |
Kenyan shilling |
Kenya |
| KGS |
417 |
2 |
Som |
Kyrgyzstan |
| KHR |
116 |
0 |
Riel |
Cambodia |
| KMF |
174 |
0 |
Comoro franc |
Comoros |
| KPW |
408 |
0 |
North Korean won |
North Korea |
| KRW |
410 |
0 |
South Korean won |
South Korea |
| KWD |
414 |
3 |
Kuwaiti dinar |
Kuwait |
| KYD |
136 |
2 |
Cayman Islands dollar |
Cayman Islands |
| KZT |
398 |
2 |
Tenge |
Kazakhstan |
| LAK |
418 |
0 |
Kip |
Laos |
| LBP |
422 |
0 |
Lebanese pound |
Lebanon |
| LKR |
144 |
2 |
Sri Lanka rupee |
Sri
Lanka |
| LRD |
430 |
2 |
Liberian dollar |
Liberia |
| LSL |
426 |
2 |
Lesotho loti |
Lesotho |
| LTL |
440 |
2 |
Lithuanian litas |
Lithuania |
| LVL |
428 |
2 |
Latvian lats |
Latvia |
| LYD |
434 |
3 |
Libyan dinar |
Libya |
| MAD |
504 |
2 |
Moroccan dirham |
Morocco , Western
Sahara |
| MDL |
498 |
2 |
Moldovan leu |
Moldova |
| MGA |
969 |
0.7 |
Malagasy ariary |
Madagascar |
| MKD |
807 |
2 |
Denar |
Macedonia |
| MMK |
104 |
0 |
Kyat |
Myanmar |
| MNT |
496 |
2 |
Tugrik |
Mongolia |
| MOP |
446 |
1 |
Pataca |
Macau Special
Administrative Region |
| MRO |
478 |
0.7 |
Ouguiya |
Mauritania |
| MUR |
480 |
2 |
Mauritius rupee |
Mauritius |
| MVR |
462 |
2 |
Rufiyaa |
Maldives |
| MWK |
454 |
2 |
Kwacha |
Malawi |
| MXN |
484 |
2 |
Mexican peso |
Mexico |
| MXV |
979 |
2 |
Mexican Unidad de
Inversion (UDI) (funds code) |
Mexico |
| MYR |
458 |
2 |
Malaysian ringgit |
Malaysia |
| MZN |
943 |
2 |
Metical |
Mozambique |
| NAD |
516 |
2 |
Namibian dollar |
Namibia |
| NGN |
566 |
2 |
Naira |
Nigeria |
| NIO |
558 |
2 |
Cordoba oro |
Nicaragua |
| NOK |
578 |
2 |
Norwegian krone |
Norway , Bouvet Island , Queen Maud Land,
Peter I
Island |
| NPR |
524 |
2 |
Nepalese rupee |
Nepal |
| NZD |
554 |
2 |
New Zealand dollar |
Cook Islands , New
Zealand , Niue , Pitcairn , Tokelau |
| OMR |
512 |
3 |
Rial Omani |
Oman |
| PAB |
590 |
2 |
Balboa |
Panama |
| PEN |
604 |
2 |
Nuevo sol |
Peru |
| PGK |
598 |
2 |
Kina |
Papua New Guinea |
| PHP |
608 |
2 |
Philippine peso |
Philippines |
| PKR |
586 |
2 |
Pakistan rupee |
Pakistan |
| PLN |
985 |
2 |
Złoty |
Poland |
| PYG |
600 |
0 |
Guarani |
Paraguay |
| QAR |
634 |
2 |
Qatari rial |
Qatar |
| RON |
946 |
2 |
Romanian new leu |
Romania |
| RSD |
941 |
2 |
Serbian dinar |
Serbia |
| RUB |
643 |
2 |
Russian rouble |
Russia , Abkhazia , South Ossetia |
| RWF |
646 |
0 |
Rwanda franc |
Rwanda |
| SAR |
682 |
2 |
Saudi riyal |
Saudi Arabia |
| SBD |
090 |
2 |
Solomon Islands
dollar |
Solomon Islands |
| SCR |
690 |
2 |
Seychelles rupee |
Seychelles |
| SDG |
938 |
2 |
Sudanese pound |
Sudan |
| SEK |
752 |
2 |
Swedish krona/kronor |
Sweden |
| SGD |
702 |
2 |
Singapore dollar |
Singapore , Brunei |
| SHP |
654 |
2 |
Saint Helena pound |
Saint Helena |
| SLL |
694 |
0 |
Leone |
Sierra Leone |
| SOS |
706 |
2 |
Somali shilling |
Somalia |
| SRD |
968 |
2 |
Surinam dollar |
Suriname |
| STD |
678 |
0 |
Dobra |
São Tomé
and Príncipe |
| SYP |
760 |
2 |
Syrian pound |
Syria |
| SZL |
748 |
2 |
Lilangeni |
Swaziland |
| THB |
764 |
2 |
Baht |
Thailand |
| TJS |
972 |
2 |
Somoni |
Tajikistan |
| TMT |
934 |
2 |
Manat |
Turkmenistan |
| TND |
788 |
3 |
Tunisian dinar |
Tunisia |
| TOP |
776 |
2 |
Pa'anga |
Tonga |
| TRY |
949 |
2 |
Turkish lira |
Turkey , Northern Cyprus |
| TTD |
780 |
2 |
Trinidad and Tobago
dollar |
Trinidad and Tobago |
| TWD |
901 |
1 |
New Taiwan dollar |
Taiwan and other islands that
are under the effective control of the Republic of China (ROC) |
| TZS |
834 |
2 |
Tanzanian shilling |
Tanzania |
| UAH |
980 |
2 |
Hryvnia |
Ukraine |
| UGX |
800 |
0 |
Uganda shilling |
Uganda |
| USD |
840 |
2 |
US dollar |
American Samoa , British Indian Ocean
Territory , Ecuador , El
Salvador , Guam , Haiti , Marshall
Islands , Micronesia, Northern
Mariana Islands , Palau , Panama , Puerto Rico, Timor-Leste , Turks and
Caicos Islands, United States , Virgin Islands,
Bermuda (as well as Bermudian
Dollar) |
| USN |
997 |
2 |
United States dollar (next day) (funds code) |
United States |
| USS |
998 |
2 |
United States dollar (same day) (funds code) (one source claims
it is no longer used, but it is still on the ISO 4217-MA list) |
United States |
| UYU |
858 |
2 |
Peso Uruguayo |
Uruguay |
| UZS |
860 |
2 |
Uzbekistan som |
Uzbekistan |
| VEF |
937 |
2 |
Venezuelan bolívar
fuerte |
Venezuela |
| VND |
704 |
0 |
Vietnamese
đồng |
Vietnam |
| VUV |
548 |
0 |
Vatu |
Vanuatu |
| WST |
882 |
2 |
Samoan tala |
Samoa |
| XAF |
950 |
0 |
CFA franc BEAC |
Cameroon , Central African Republic , Congo , Chad , Equatorial Guinea , Gabon |
| XAG |
961 |
. |
Silver (one troy
ounce) |
|
| XAU |
959 |
. |
Gold (one troy
ounce) |
|
| XBA |
955 |
. |
European Composite Unit
(EURCO) (bond market unit) |
|
| XBB |
956 |
. |
European Monetary Unit
(E.M.U.-6) (bond market unit) |
|
| XBC |
957 |
. |
European Unit of Account
9 (E.U.A.-9) (bond market unit) |
|
| XBD |
958 |
. |
European Unit of Account
17 (E.U.A.-17) (bond market unit) |
|
| XCD |
951 |
2 |
East Caribbean dollar |
Anguilla , Antigua and Barbuda , Dominica , Grenada , Montserrat , Saint Kitts and Nevis , Saint
Lucia , Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines |
| XDR |
960 |
. |
Special Drawing
Rights |
International Monetary Fund |
| XFU |
Nil |
. |
UIC franc (special settlement
currency) |
International Union
of Railways |
| XOF |
952 |
0 |
CFA Franc BCEAO |
Benin , Burkina Faso , Côte d'Ivoire , Guinea-Bissau , Mali , Niger , Senegal , Togo |
| XPD |
964 |
. |
Palladium (one troy ounce) |
|
| XPF |
953 |
0 |
CFP franc |
French Polynesia , New Caledonia , Wallis and Futuna |
| XPT |
962 |
. |
Platinum (one troy ounce) |
|
| XTS |
963 |
. |
Code reserved for testing purposes |
|
| XXX |
999 |
. |
No currency |
|
| YER |
886 |
0 |
Yemeni rial |
Yemen |
| ZAR |
710 |
2 |
South African rand |
South Africa |
| ZMK |
894 |
0 |
Kwacha |
Zambia |
| ZWL |
932 |
2 |
Zimbabwe dollar |
Zimbabwe |
Explanation of USD/USS/USN
The
US dollar actually has three codes
assigned: USD, USS (same day) and USN (next day). According to
UN/CEFACT recommendation 9, paragraphs 8-9 (ECE/TRADE/203, 1996,
available online:
- 8. In applications where monetary resources associated with a
currency (i.e. funds) need not be specified and where a field
identifier indicating currency is used, the first two (leftmost)
characters are sufficient to identify a currency–example: US for
United States dollars for general, unspecified purposes where a
field identifier indicating currency is present. (A field
identifier can be a preprinted field heading in an aligned document
or a similarly-agreed application in electronic transmission of
data.)
- 9. In applications where there is a need to distinguish between
different types of currencies, or where funds are required as in
the banking environment, or where there is no field identifier, the
third (rightmost) character of the alphabetic code is an indicator,
preferably mnemonic, derived from the name of the major currency
unit or fund – example: USD for general, unspecified purposes; USN
for United States dollar next-day funds, and USS for funds which
are immediately available for Federal Reserve transfer, withdrawal
in cash or transfer in like funds (same-day funds). Since there is
no need for such a distinction in international trade applications,
the funds codes have not been included in the Annex to the present
Recommendation.
Without currency code
A number of territories are not included in ISO 4217, because their
currencies are: (a) not
per se an independent currency but
a variant of another currency, or (b) a legal tender only issued as
commemorative banknotes and/or coinage. These currencies are:
- Alderney pound (1:1 pegged to the
pound sterling)
- Cook Islands dollar (1:1
pegged to the New Zealand dollar)
- Faroese króna (1:1 pegged to
the Danish krone)
- Guernsey pound (1:1 pegged to the
pound sterling)
- Isle of Man pound (1:1 pegged
to the pound sterling)
- Jersey pound (1:1 pegged to the
pound sterling)
- Kiribati dollar (1:1 pegged to
the Australian dollar)
- Maltese scudo (1:0.24 pegged to
the euro)
- Somaliland shilling
(exchange rate not fixed)
- Transnistrian ruble
(unknown)
- Tuvaluan dollar (1:1 pegged to
the Australian dollar)
The following non-ISO codes are, however, sometimes used
commercially:
| |
Guernsey pound |
|
GGP |
| Jersey pound |
|
JEP |
| Isle of Man pound |
|
IMP |
| Somaliland shilling |
|
SLSH |
| Tuvalu dollar |
|
TVD |
| Transnistrian ruble |
|
PRB |
Obsolete currency codes
A number of currencies were official ISO 4217 currency codes and
currency names until their replacement by the
euro or other currencies.
Note that the currency names used below may not match the currency
names used in the ISO standard itself, but the codes do
match.
See also
References
- [1]
- Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets – Countries'
currencies and codes
- Fate of Paper Money
External links
Currency conversion