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Top 3 Currencies

The 3 most traded currencies

A few weeks ago, we talked about the most valuable currencies in the world, this week we are going to talk about which ones are the most traded (exchanged). In this case we are going to talk about the top 3. And I hope you get surprised.

The US Dollar

I am sure most of you already guessed that the dollar was the most traded currency in the world, but did you know that 2,9 billions, that’s right billions, of dollars are traded daily? The reason for that is the dollar is not just because is the currency in the United States of America it is also because the dollar is the preferred currency for the federal reserves in many countries. This means that many countries operate daily with US dollars. That is why at Eurochange we have excellent exchange rates from dollar to euro and from euro to dollar, just to make your life easier and have our clients happy.

The Euro

Some of you probably were thinking that the British pound would be #2, but in this case the European currency takes the silver. While there are 2,9 billions of dollars being traded daily, there are 1,1 billions of euros. Probably some of those are just dollars to euros or euros to dollars, but the thing its that those two currencies are directly related. The fact that most European countries have the euro as their currency makes the euro to be the 2nd currency to cover federal reserves around the world, mostly in Europe of course. At Eurochange we have the euro as our main currency, which means that we can exchange any of your currencies into euros, and if you want to buy currencies, the euro is the currency you need to pay with.

The Yen

And you though the pound for sure would be third, well, is not. The Japanese yen takes the bronze. 554 millions daily being traded around the world. Japan is a strong manufacturer which makes them an exporting country. And why does that matter? It matters because Japan it is also a really cultural country and really attached to their traditions. The Yen is their currency and, even they trade with other currencies, the Yen still being really their currency of choice. That is why if you are travelling to Japan make sure you have some Yen and, yes you know it, at Eurochange we can exchange your yen into euro or euros into yen with some amazing prices, but make sure you make your reservation, since it is a really popular currency. And, in my personal opinion, some of the most beautiful notes out there.

Coming soon

We will be talking about other currencies soon, but I though it would be nice to leave you wanting some more. For those of you that are waiting to see where the British pound is ranked, I can only tell you one thing… at Eurochange, doesn’t matter where the pound is ranked you will still be able to exchange your pounds to euros. And if you want to travel to the UK, you can also exchange your euros to pounds. I don’t need to tell you, but I will, you will find amazing exchange rates at our locations, and of course, the best customer service out there.

Top 5 strongest currencies 2023

Ranking the top 5 strongest currencies by 2023

Ok for once we are going to talk about money, but not a boring post about boring stuff. In this week´s post we are going to talk about which are the strongest currencies in the world by 2023, and just an advance, no there is not The Rock coin or Connor McGregor coin, we are talking about the regular currencies. Spoiler alert, they will surprise you.

On top of the list, we have the Kuwaiti Dinar. Taking the us dollar as a measuring bar, one KWD (Kuwaiti Dinar) equals to 3,26 USD (United State Dollar). The KWD was initially pegged to the GBP (Great Britain Pound) in the 60´s when it was born but now is another whole story. 

Numero 2, Bahraini dinar (BHD). One of those BHD can give you up to 2,65 dollars if you are exchanging currencies in the right place. Again, another relatively young currency that was born in 1965 and also was pegged to the pound sterling now being pegger to the American dollar.

On third position and closing the podium we have the OMR, Omani Rial. In the currency exchange market, the value of one OMR equals to 2,60 American dollars. 1970 was the year the Omani Rial was born, and guess what, also pegged to the US dollar. 

Forth, which still a really amazing position among all the currencies in the world, we have the Jordanian Dinar (JOD). I know I said at the beginning that there were not celebrities in this ranking, well Jordan is not the basketball player is also a country in the Middle East. But this currency could be related to Michael Jordan because as him, it’s an all-star.  For one Jordanian Dinar you could get up to 1,41 us dollars. This currency it’s a bit older than the previous three, born in 1950, but still not as old as most currencies we usually known, excluding the Euro of course.

And fifth but not last, well last this week but more to come next week, an old friend of us appears on the top 5. The British Pound (GBP) also known as pound or sterling; this currency is well known all over the globe. If you exchange British pound to dollar, you will get around 1,22 depending on the moment and company of course. The British pound on the other hand it´s one of the oldest in the world, it´s being around since the 1400s, and sticks around.

You probably see some common ground on the first for currencies: Middle East, Oil, cultural similarities. But right now, in the world those are the strongest currencies. And all those countries, and the UK of course, are really lovely places to visit. And another common ground it´s that the exchange value is from USD, well if you are visiting our website and you want to know how much those currencies will be exchanging in euros, just check the store closest to you and check the current exchange rate between euros and all those currencies. So, if you are planning to visit Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan or the UK, please make sure you make your reservation at Eurochange. We will be more than thankful to offer you amazing rates from euro to those currencies and, as I always say, the best customer service out there. 

Colombia at the World Travelers Awards 2023

The great archievements Colombia was awarded at the World Travelers Awards

Colombia was nominated in 2023 as one of the best tourist destinations for the World Travelers Awards. The World Travelers Awards are some of the most important and relevant award in the tourism world. And there is a reason why Colombia has 9 nominations in 2023: some of the most known Colombian cities are leaders in tourism, as can be Bogota, Barranquilla, and Medellin.

Another famous city as Cali, was nominated as a leader in tourism and as cultural city. Cali is well known as the Salsa Capital. Bogota was nominated as best touristic city, Cartagena as the best port and Medellin as City Break and Business Tourism.
At the end of the votes Colombia got four awards to be really proud of.

San Andres was the leading beach destination winning this award for the 5th year in a row. And is no doubt that it is really deserved.

The country of Colombia as a whole got the Leading Green Destination of 2023 for 2nd year in a row, winning the award over other contestants as important as Brazil or Argentina. Another award the got for the 2nd straight year and as a country was the Leading Youth travel destination 2023. Colombia became a really interesting destination for the youth to explore new adventures.

And finally, ProColombia got the 2023 Leading Tourist Board award for the 3rd year in a row. This award is given to the best tourist agency in south America.

We understand why Colombia became one of the most visited countries in 2023 and why many people from all over the world pick this country to spend their vacations. Another fact that helps is their currency. The Colombian peso is a known currency, easy to find anywhere in the world and with an stable cost. At Eurochange we can provide you with Colombian pesos if you decide to visit this amazing country. If you want to change your euros to Colombian pesos make sure you visit our website and check the Eurochange office closest to you. You will be surprised by out amazing exchange rates and amazed by our excellent customer service

New oppening: Toledo

New Eurochange office in Toledo

Summertime, new office time. And we are back with a new office opening, this time the selected town is Toledo. We will be open for business next Monday August 17th. Next to Madrid, Toledo is a historical town full of enchantment and tradition. Also, the popular theme park Puy Du Fou will be welcoming thousands of visitors this summer.

As always, our intention is to be closer than you and reach the most interesting places in Spain, for now, who knows when we will be checking out next countries, wink wink. But for now, our new office will be open at Bajada, Pl. Corral de Don Diego 5 right on the historical downtown.

In this new office you will be able to exchange your foreign currencies into euros at the best rates, without any commission or minimum amount. Furthermore, you can ask for the Club Eurochange card to obtain improved prices for your exchanges and customized services.

​On the other hand, if what you want it is to purchase foreign currencies to organize your travels in advance, all you must do is to make your reservation online or just calling us on the phone and we will set your exchange up and have everything ready for when you come visit.

So do not hesitate this summer and come visit Puy Du Fou and of course us. No matter which part of the world you coming I am sure we will be able to exchange your currency into Euros. And the same the other way around, if you are from Toledo and you are planning on traveling overseas, make your currency reservation with us.

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The most valuable coin in the world: Double Eagle

The history behing the most valuable coin in the world: the gold coin Doubl

In this blog we usually talk about currencies or travels. But this week we are going to talk about a coin, in singular, since it is the only one in the world and therefor the most expensive coin in the world.

We are talking about the coin known as the Double Eagle from 1933 designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. In the 8 th of July 2021 this coin was optioned in Sotheby´s for the incredible amount of 18.872.250 dollars. The previous “most expensive” coin in the world was the “flowing hair” silver dollar from 1794/95 sold in 2013 for 10 million dollars.

The design of the Double Eagle is not just interesting but also beautiful. In on side the coin has the Liberty on a beautiful minted image, and on the other side the amazing eagle in flight is shown. The face value of this coin is 20$.
There is a big history behind this coin, not just historical facts but also laws that nowadays still active. The United States law stablishes that this is the only gold coin that can be “in circulation” and owned by a private party. That is why, even there are more known coins like this one, the one optioned is the only one in the world not owned by the American government.

The history of the Double Eagle its quite remarkable. This one the last gold coin ever minted by the US government, but the fact that Franklin D. Roosevelt executed a gold embargo to the American citizens, the coin never was in circulation. Most of the coins were molten and just a few survived.

 

This one in particular has been on some of the most exclusive collections up until now and its original price was just the face value, 20 $. The last sell was private so we may never know who paid those almost 19 million for it.

If you come across this coin im afraid we will not be able to buy it from you at
Eurochange, not just because of the value, but also because we only accept notes. But if you have any kind of dollar notes: new, old, damaged, special, exclusive, collectable, etc please bring them to us and we will provide you with an exchange rate in each particular case. And not just the dollars, at Eurochange we buy all kinds of notes from all over the world, so just walk up to one of our Money Agents and ask them about it, we will be more than happy to help you.

The Pound Sterling

Countries where you can use the Sterling Pound

The Sterling Pound is one of the oldest and most known and used currencies in the world. It is actually the 4th most used currency in the world. The US dollar is number one, followed by the euro and on 3rd place the Yen in placed just above the pound. We all can picture a pound note in our minds even with recent changes. That is why we are going to tell you a but more about this currency, where can you use it and how at Eurochange you can get them or exchange them to Euros.

The pound, or the “quid” as is used in slang, can be used in many countries. And even if there is different coins and notes designs the value does not change, one pound is one pound no matter where they come from. But don’t be mistaken, we are talking about the sterling pound, since there are many other countries that use pound as their currency but is not the same currency. In Syria, Egypt, Sudan and Lebanon also use pound, but those countries do not use the sterling pound and the value is not the same. 

The sterling pound can be used in many countries around the globe. Of course, can be used in the United Kingdom, this means that you can use them in England, Scotland, Wales and Norther Ireland, remember than in Ireland you will need Euros to do your shopping. Within the UK, and even the value is the same, we will be able to see different designs on the notes. There are eight banks allowed to print their own starling pounds: Bank of England (England); Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank (Scotland); and Bank of Ireland, First Trust Bank, Danske Bank and Ulster Bank (Nother Ireland). Don’t be afraid if you get one different note while you are traveling thru the UK, just check that it comes from one of the banks listed above and you will be ok.

Is that it? Not even close. There are many other countries or territories that also use the sterling pound. Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the British Antarctic Territory, and Tristan da Cunha make the list of places where you can spend your pounds larger. In all those places the official currency is the sterling pound. Some of them are well known, but others are basically deserted territories or colonies. 

Unfortunately, while you are in Spain you will not be able to spend your pounds to go around the country. Even you will be able to find some places they accept the currency the best thing to do is to exchange your pounds to Euros, the official Spanish currency. And the best way to do it is coming to Eurochange to do so. We have really good exchange rates for you. But that is not it, at Eurochange we will provide you with the best customer service, we will answer all your inquiries and questions free of charge. Also, Eurochange has no hidden fees or commissions and our Money Agents are the best in the business, not just because they are great doing their job, but also because they are the friendliest and will help you out in all your needs. Check our many locations thru the Spanish territory and come to exchange your sterling pounds into euros.

Also, this is a two-way street, if you have euros and you planning to travel to one of the many places we named before, you can also come to Eurochange to get your British pounds. The exchange rate is as good as the opposite way but also you can make your reservation at our website and we will have your pounds ready for you when you arrive to pick them up. 

See you Kuna

The replacement of the Kuna by the Euro as the oficial croatian currency

In less than a month Croatia´s legal tender will be the Euro. On January 1 st 2023 the Kuna will be no longer the official currency of the country. They will co-exist for a couple weeks before the Euro takes over.

Since 1994 the Kuna was the official currency in Croatia. The word kuna means "marten" in Croatian, referring to the historical use of marten pelts as units of value in medieval trading. The Kuna took over in 1994 after the Croatian dinar that was stablished in 1991, short life for a currency. 

At the Kuna notes we can find different personalities and historic placer from croatia. Ante Starčević, a politician, can be found on the 1000 kuna bills with the Zagreb Cathedral in the back of the note. Marko Marulić, poet, has his place on the 1000 kuna bill with the Diocleciano Palace in the back. 

While talking about coins, the Lipa, has different designs depending on which year was made. The ones made on the even years has animals and plants, but the names are in latin. While the ones made on the odd years have the name on croatian.

 

At Eurochange  we still accepting the Croatian Kuna, so don’t hesitate to come over one of our offices and exchange your Kunas into Euros before is too late. We will update you by next year with whether we still buying them or giving you more options. And even we are not yet there, from the Eurochange family we want to wish you a merry Christmas.

 

Black Friday. Miths and origens

A look into the popular shopping tradition and its origens

Today is black Friday. An American tradition that is no longer exclusive to the American citizens and its being adopted by many countries around the world. But where black Friday comes from? And what it is about? Let´s see the origins and why is the biggest shopping day of the year.  

The first time the term “Black Friday” was use not for the shopping day after thanksgiving. The first use was because of a financial crisis: the crash of gold market in 1869. Two wall street financers tried to buy as much gold as they could to try to rise the price. On Friday September 24th the conspiracy was reveal and the market went down and bankrupt everyone on the Wall Street market

But the well know story about the Thanksgiving shopping in Black Friday it is related to the retail market. Owners were on “red” meaning on loses and used to turn in “black” profits when the Thanksgiving holiday was really popular because of the discounts. Red was the color to mark the loses in the business world while black was the one used to mark the profits. Although this is a popular story, is inaccurate. 
 

The true story of the Black Friday is not smile and rainbows as is understood nowadays. Back in the 50´s, in Philadelphia, Black Friday was the terms to describe the chaos that was around the city. The reason for that chaos was nothing else than the multitudes that invaded the city to shop before the Army-Navy football game that was held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Police had to work after the holiday, taking longer shifts and nonbeing able to spend the time with their families to take care of tourist and locals all over the city. By 1961, Philly´s merchants tried to change the name to Big Friday to delete the negative connotation but around 1980 the term Black Friday came back but with a positive connotation. The story we told at the beginning around profit and losses was the one that was told back then to turn it into a good thing. 
Black Friday spread all over the world and evolved. Now we have black Monday and other days around these dates related to discounts and sales on shopping.

 

In Spain we also “celebrate” Black Friday. But if you want to do some shopping in the Spanish country you will need some euros. So come to any of our Eurochange offices and exchange your currency into euros. And go ahead and ask us about some shopping centers, we will try to help you out, our rates are excellent but out service it is even better. 
 

New pound coins featuring King Charles

The release of the new UK coins featuring King Charles after the Queen´s de

New coins featuring the portrait of King Charles have been revealed, with a 50p carrying his image entering general circulation within weeks.

The coins follow centuries of tradition with the monarch now facing left – the opposite way to his predecessor
As with previous British kings, and unlike the Queen, he wears no crown.
King Charles personally approved the effigy, and was understood to be pleased with the likeness.

. The full inscription surrounding the King's image reads "CHARLES III • D • G • REX • F • D • 5 POUNDS • 2022", shortened from Latin, which translates to "King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith".
The 50p coin will be available for general use well before the end of the year, distributed according to demand by banks, building societies and post offices.
They will co-circulate with coins featuring the late Queen, so those 27 billion coins will still be accepted in shops.
From the start of next year, coins from the 1p to the £2, which we use in day-to-day life, will be minted carrying the same image of King Charles. They will be sent out when needed to replace damaged and worn older coins and to cover any extra demand.
There will also be two new coins designs – on a 50p and a £5 coin – to celebrate the Queen, charting her journey from a young monarch to a long-standing head of state.

These are just coins but in Eurochange are waiting for the new notes to be released in order to add them to our long list of exchange currencies. And remember, if you want to exchange your pounds to Euros, come visit us! Check out locator and find a Eurochange office near you.
 

Money and The Queen

A look at the british currency´s history with Queen Elizabeth in them

Following the Queen's death on September 8 a number of changes have already begun getting underway, some of them being the first in a lifetime. For ordinary people Britain everyday things like money and stamps, both of which currently carry Queen Elizabeth II's face, will have to be replaced. Although the Bank of England has not yet confirmed the date that the money will change, there is likely to be a significant transition phase between notes and coins featuring Queen Elizabeth II and those with King Charles III's image. Taking this as our departing point we are going to take a walk down to money history lane and take a look back to all the notes that had Queen Elizabeth as the main character. 

1956 – The Bank of England is allowed to use the Queen's portrait

1960–1961 The Queen first appears on a Bank of England note

1961Test prints for the Queen's portrait

1963–1964 Series C £5 and £10 notes

1967 An unissued 50p note

1970s New portraits for D Series notes

1970 A new portrait for 'high sum' notes

1971A second portrait for the £5 and £1 notes

1990 A timeless image for E Series

1990 Design for the watermark portrait

Since 1990 Creating a watermark

Since 2016 Portraits on polymer

From the Eurochange family we share the British’s loss. Times of changes are coming soon but we will remain the same. We still exchanging the old paper pounds to euro, but not all of them of course, anyways a note from 1960 will be more valuable that what the currency cost. Find us using our store locator and come to exchange your currency. 

And if you are interested on knowing more about the history of these historical moments on britain´s money, let us know in the comments and we will make another post going deeper in the history of some of those notes. 

 

 

When will paper £20 and £50 notes expire?

A brief explanation about the expiration of the £20 and £50 notes and what

 

When will paper £20 and £50 notes expire?

The Bank of England will be withdrawing legal tender status of paper £20 and £50 banknotes after 30 September 2022. According to the Bank of England, the majority of banknotes have been replaced but there are still more than £6bn worth of paper £20s and £8bn worth of paper £50s in circulation. After 30 September, these will no longer be legal tender.

 

Which ones are the polymer notes?

The latest polymer banknote to be issued was the £50 note “featuring Bletchley Park codebreaker and scientist Alan Turing” last year. The first plastic £20 note, featuring artist JMW Turner, was issued in February 2020. The £10 polymer features author Jane Austen, while the £5 shows war-time prime minister Sir Winston Churchill.

Why are they changing?

Bank of England’s Chief Cashier Sarah John said “Changing our banknotes from paper to polymer over recent years has been an important development, because it makes them more difficult to counterfeit, and means they are more durable." She also encouraged everyone to: “spend them now, or deposit them into a bank account.”

 

But what can I do with my old notes?

Don’t panic: the Bank of England honours every banknote that's ever been printed, so you'll always be able to take, or post, your note to London to swap it for a new one.

If you miss the 30 September deadline, you may still be able to deposit old notes at your bank. 

And what about in Spain?

At our Eurochange exchange currency offices you can bring them to us at any of our locations and we exchange you pound to euro .

Currency Mysteries: US Dollar and Sterling Pound

Curiosities about some of the american dollars and british pounds

The past week we went over some fun facts about the 4th of july. This week we are going to take a look on some fun facts about United States Dollars and British Pounds.

What does the Star on the serial number means on the US Dollars?

Many times people come to the currency exchange offices wondering about what the star means on their dollars. And we do have the answer: those are replacement notes.

And what is a “replacement note”? You may ask. Replacement notes are those that has to be printed again after there is a printing error occurs during a normal press run and renders a set of bills unusable.The replacement notes have a sequence of their own, using the star as their final "letter." This allows for 99,999,999 possible replacement notes for any given bank, series and denomination and there is about one error in every 100,000 U.S. bills.

But this is not the only time notes are replaced. The Bureau of Engraving and Printing receives around 25,000 mutilated currency redemption claims annually. Each bill is shredded and sent to waste energy facilities for disposal and a check it is sent in return to the bank that sent the damaged note.

And if you wonder… No, the star on the bills does not add any value in the dollar to euro exchange. Some private collector maybe can pay more for those notes, as well as for correlative serial number notes, or notes with printing errors, but oficially they all have their original value.

 

Some questions about sterling pounds.

There is nothing like a star in the sterling notes, but the british currency has many curiosities and fun historical facts.

Where the sterling pound name comes from? The british pound it´s also called sterling pound because historically the value was the equivalent to a pound of silver, hence why it's sometimes referred to as the "pound sterling.

And why is pound? The name can be trace back to the roman era , and it is translated from the word Libra which means weight or balance. More fully, the words Libra Pondo meant pound weight. I am sure you already assumed this fact, but just in case, this is the main reason why the symbol of the British Pound its an L, the same initial letter from Libra.

Are all the pound the same? There is nothing like the dollar star? In this case we can find some peculiarities on the old one pound coins. There are many countries that use the pound outside the UK. We can find brittish pounds also Falklands Pound, Guernsey Pound ,Gibraltar Pound , Manx Pound, Jersey Sterling Pound and St.-Helena Pound and some of them can be seen on the old 1 pound coin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we are back to the important question asked frequently on the money exchange offices: Do they have more value? And the answer, as in the dollar´s case, it is no. The value of those coins are the same as the original british pound when you trying to change pound to euro.

And last but not least: can I change my “star” dollars and my Sterling pounds everywhere? At Eurochange we accept all kind of notes. You can change pound to euro in all of our locations. And not just that, you can also buy dollars using euros but, even we cannot promise a star on our notes, we can guarantee a 5 star service from all our agents at Eurochange.

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