Currency Code 156

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ISO4217 is a standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that defines alpha codes and numeric codes for the representation of currencies and provides information about the relationships between individual currencies and their minor units. This data is published in three tables:[1]

The ISO 4217 code list is used in banking and business globally. In many countries, the ISO 4217 alpha 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 delineate the currencies, instead of translated currency names or ambiguous currency symbols. ISO 4217 alpha codes are used on airline tickets and international train tickets to remove any ambiguity about the price.

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), 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. Such changes usually originate from the formation of new countries, treaties between countries on shared currencies or monetary unions, or redenomination from an existing currency due to excessive inflation. As a result, the list of codes must be updated from time to time. The ISO 4217 maintenance agency is responsible for maintaining the list of codes.[3]

In the case of national currencies, the first two letters of the alpha code are the two letters of the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code and the third is usually the initial of the currency's main unit.[4] So Japan's currency code is .mw-parser-output .monospacedfont-family:monospace,monospaceJPY: "JP" for Japan and "Y" for yen. This eliminates the problem caused by the names dollar, franc, peso and pound being used in dozens of countries, each having significantly differing values. While in most cases the ISO code resembles an abbreviation of the currency's full English name, this is not always the case, as currencies such as the Algerian dinar, Aruban florin, Cayman dollar, renminbi, sterling and the Swiss franc have been assigned codes which do not closely resemble abbreviations of the official currency names.

The inclusion of EU (denoting the European Union) in the ISO 3166-1 reserved codes list allows the euro to be coded as EUR rather than assigned a code beginning with X, even though it is a supranational currency.

ISO 4217 also assigns a three-digit numeric code to each currency. This numeric code is usually the same as the numeric code assigned to the corresponding country by ISO 3166-1. For example, USD (United States dollar) has numeric code 840 which is also the ISO 3166-1 code for "US" (United States).

The following is a list of active codes of official ISO 4217 currency names as of 1 January 2024[update].In the standard the values are called "alphabetic code", "numeric code", "minor unit", and "entity".

A number of currencies had official ISO 4217 currency codes and currency names until their replacement by another currency. The table below shows the ISO currency codes of former currencies and their common names (which do not always match the ISO 4217 names). That table has been introduced end 1988 by ISO.[22]

Requirements sometimes arise for values to be expressed in terms of minor units of currency. When this occurs, it is necessary to know the decimal relationship that exists between the currency concerned and its minor unit. This information has therefore been included in this International Standard and is shown in the column headed "Minor unit" in Tables A.1 and A.2; "0" means that there is no minor unit for that currency, whereas "1", "2" and "3" signify a ratio of 10:1, 100:1 and 1000:1 respectively. The names of the minor units are not given.

Examples for the ratios of 100:1 and 1000:1 include the United States dollar and the Bahraini dinar, for which the column headed "Minor unit" shows "2" and "3", respectively. As of 2021[update], two currencies have non-decimal ratios, the Mauritanian ouguiya and the Malagasy ariary; in both cases the ratio is 5:1. For these, the "Minor unit" column shows the number "2". Some currencies, such as the Burundian franc, do not in practice have any minor currency unit at all. These show the number "0", as with currencies whose minor units are unused due to negligible value.[citation needed]

The ISO standard does not regulate either the spacing, prefixing or suffixing in usage of currency codes. The style guide of the European Union's Publication Office declares that, for texts issued by or through the Commission in English, Irish, Latvian and Maltese, the ISO 4217 code is to be followed by a "hard space" (non-breaking space) and the amount:[42]

Despite having no presence or status in the standard, three letter acronyms that resemble ISO 4217 coding are sometimes used locally or commercially to represent de facto currencies or currency instruments.

Minor units of currency (also known as currency subdivisions or currency subunits) are often used for pricing and trading stocks and other assets, such as energy,[68] but are not assigned codes by ISO 4217. Two conventions for representing minor units are in widespread use:

The alphabetic code is based on another ISO standard, ISO 3166, which lists the codes for country names. The first two letters of the ISO 4217 three-letter code are the same as the code for the country name, and, where possible, the third letter corresponds to the first letter of the currency name.

The three-digit numeric code is useful when currency codes need to be understood in countries that do not use Latin scripts and for computerized systems. Where possible, the three-digit numeric code is the same as the numeric country code.

Periodically, amendments must be made to ISO 4217:2015 and these are managed by the Secretariat of the Maintenance Agency, in this case the SIX Financial Information AG on behalf of the Swiss Association for Standardization, SNV.

Users of ISO country codes have the option to subscribe to a paid service that automatically provides updates and supplies the data in formats* that are ready-to-use for a wide range of applications. For more information, visit the ISO Store.

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SIX plays an active role in the standardization of financial data by either driving standardization initiatives or executing official standardization mandates. SIX also provides financial markets with standardized financial information. In addition, SIX acts as a provider of registration services. As the maintenance agency secretariats for the standards CFI, ISIN and the Currency Code, SIX ensures that data standards stay up to date.

It is our continuous ambition to drive best practices in the area of data standards and set clear guidelines for the entire industry. Together with strong partners around the globe we are working toward a common goal: making the work with financial data easier for everyone.

In cases when a data standard requires frequent modification or the maintenance of a code list or when a standard requires the assignment of unique identifier, a maintenance agency or a registration authority may be appointed.

SIX is a National Numbering Agency (NNA) and member of ANNA. In this role SIX registers new instruments and issues a related unique International Securities Identification Number (ISIN), Financial Instrument Short Name (FISN) and a Classification of Financial Instruments (CFI).

SIX is the official securities numbering agency in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Belgium, and in this capacity is responsible for the issuance of Valor and ISIN identifiers. The Valor uniquely identifies financial instruments of any country and any asset class. The Valor is incorporated in the Swiss, Belgium and Liechtenstein ISIN. A Valor can be used in conjunction with an ISO Market Identifier Code (ISO 10383) and an ISO Currency Code (ISO 4217) to uniquely identify a financial instrument.

SIX is also a founding member of the Association of National Numbering Agencies (ANNA) and co-operator of the ANNA Service Bureau.

Looking to reserve or request a new Swiss Security Number?

CONNEXOR Numbering is the central reservation tool for Swiss securities numbers and International Securities Identification Numbers (ISINS). CONNEXOR Numbering offers an internet-based application and service for security issuers to reserve NSINs and ISINs, and provides an automated feedback about the result of the reservation.

In order to use CONNEXOR Numbering, you need a signed contract with SIX Financial Information, whereupon you will receive a username and password to log onto the CONNEXOR Numbering internet-based application.

Once logged on, you can automatically procure securities numbers and ISINs for your financial instruments at any time and wherever you are. As an issuer you can opt to receive individual securities numbers and ISINs or in batch (pooling).

The ISO 10962 Classification of Financial Instruments (CFI) standard is a recognized standard for describing all financial instruments. It is recognized world-wide by all operators and computer systems in the financial and banking industries. The term "financial instruments" refers not only to classical securities and derivatives but also covers the innovative financial products that have emerged in different markets.

As the maintenance agency for the CFI code, SIX is responsible for managing the modifications and enhancements of the code list. SIX is also responsible for publishing updates in a human- and machine-readable data formats like spreadsheets, pdf, csv, json-lD, ttl).

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