Real currencies

A real currency is a unit of account recognized by a monetary authority. It can exist as cash, bank deposits, and other payment instruments denominated in the same unit.

Cartonindex uses public exchange-rate series to convert each currency into a common reference. It then combines that conversion with the documented price of a fictional or virtual currency.

Available currencies

Argentine peso

Code ARS. This is Argentina's current currency series, introduced in 1992 and issued by the Banco Central de la República Argentina.

Venezuelan bolívar

The Venezuelan currency has undergone several redenominations. Its profile explains why every source must identify the date, data series, and exact unit.

Japanese yen

Code JPY. The yen has been Japan's monetary unit since the modern monetary system was established in 1871.

Colombian peso

Code COP. The Banco de la República issues Colombia's legal currency and publishes information about the foreign-exchange market and the Tasa Representativa del Mercado.

Chilean peso

Code CLP. The current peso replaced the escudo in 1975. Chile uses a flexible exchange-rate regime and publishes the Dólar Observado as a reference.

Euro

Code EUR. It is the common currency of the countries in the euro area and has a shared system for issuance and monetary policy.

What the comparisons show

Cartonindex pages show how many fictional units correspond to one real currency unit. They can also show how much real money one fictional unit represents under the selected method.

The result does not measure, by itself:

• A country's cost of living.
• The population's wages.
• The full stability of its economy.
• The quality of a currency.
• Its possible future value.

To interpret the figures, read what Cartonindex measures and what a strong or weak currency means.