How the Library can help
The ICAEW Library has compiled this guide to help everyone to find the exchange rates they need.
The Library enquiry team can also help ICAEW members, ACA students and other authorised users with requests for exchange rates from a variety of print and online sources. If you would like to know more about the information we can offer, please call us on +44 (0)20 7920 8620, email library@icaew.com or contact us through webchat.
Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve is the central bank of the United States. It publishes US Dollar exchange rates in the following tables:
- H.10 - Daily Rates (10th June 1996 onwards)
- G.5 - Monthly Rates (June 1995 onwards)
- G.5A - Annual Rates (1993 onwards)
The H.10 Country Data section provides daily exchange rates for the US Dollar back to 1971.
The Federal Reserve site states that the daily rates included in the H.10 weekly release are "certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for customs purposes as required by section 522 of the amended Tariff Act of 1930", and "also those required by the SEC for the integrated disclosure system for foreign private issuers".
International Financial Statistics
International Financial Statistics is a database (formerly a print periodical) from the International Monetary Fund, which is updated monthly.
It contains monthly, quarterly, and annual exchange rates data for the US Dollar against the ECU, Euro, and SDR. In each case, both end-of-period rates and period average rates are given.
Data may be retrieved online, using the IMF Data query tool. The IMF website provides instructions on how to use this tool.
As well as this online availability, the ICAEW Library & Information Service holds print copies of the January and July editions from 2007 until 2012 (plus a copy of the edition for December 2012). Each print volume holds: annual figures for the previous 7 years; quarterly figures for the previous 3 years; and monthly figures for the previous 9 months.
Wall Street Journal
The Journal publishes exchange rates in the Market Data section of its website. This data is sourced from FactSet and Tullett Prebon. Historical rates can be accessed via the 'Historical Prices' and 'Advanced Charting' tools, on each exchange rate page. The earliest data available is for March 2006.
Measuring Worth
This is an independent service operated by the MeasuringWorth Foundation, having originally been established by Samuel H. Williamson, an American academic. It gives exchange rate data over a much longer period than most other sites, including:
- US Dollar to Pound Sterling, 1791 onwards
- US Dollar to 41 currencies, 1850 onwards (temporal coverage varies between currencies).
Can't find what you're looking for?
The ICAEW Library can give you the right information from trustworthy, professional sources that aren't freely available online. Contact us for expert help with your enquiries and research.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information given in this Research Guide is correct. However, the content of websites changes frequently and users should satisfy themselves that the information they contain is suitable for the purposes for which they wish to use it. We would be grateful to receive notification of any broken links at library@icaew.com.
ICAEW accepts no responsibility for the content on any site to which a hypertext link from this site exists. The links are provided ‘as is’ with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. Please see the full copyright and disclaimer notice.
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