The Bank for International Settlements has published a database of 568 government-issued currencies introduced between 1850 and 2026. It records each currency’s issuing authority, jurisdiction, dates of issuance and discontinuation, and the reasons it began and ended.
The database covers currencies from six continents, including colonial, territorial and wartime currencies. Its authors say it is the first to systematically record the reasons for each currency’s introduction and discontinuation. They have made it publicly available for research on money and economic history.
Of the 568 currencies, 163 are still in use, according to the study. About 70% have been discontinued. The median currency lasted 33 years; nearly a quarter lasted less than a decade. Some existed for less than a year, while others circulated for several centuries.
Independence was the most common recorded reason for introducing a currency, accounting for 28% of cases. Name or unit changes were the most common reason for discontinuation, at 35%. Together with inflation, they accounted for 55% of discontinuations.
The number of currencies in circulation grew from about 67 in 1850 to a peak of 192 in 1994, after the Soviet Union broke up. It later fell to 163, mainly because the euro replaced several currencies, the study says.
The database was compiled by Iñaki Aldasoro, Jon Frost, Rudraksh Kansal and Catherine R. Schenk. The BIS says the views in the publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institution or its member central banks.
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