agio

American  

[aj-ee-oh] / ˈædʒ iˌoʊ /

noun

agios plural

1. a premium on money in exchange.

2. an allowance for the difference in value of two currencies.

3. an allowance given or taken on bills of exchange from other countries, as to balance exchange expenses.

4. agiotage.

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agio British  

/ ˈædʒɪəʊ /

noun

1. 1. the difference between the nominal and actual values of a currency

   2. the charge payable for conversion of the less valuable currency

2. a percentage payable for the exchange of one currency into another

3. an allowance granted to compensate for differences in currency values, as on foreign bills of exchange

4. an informal word for agiotage

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Etymology

Origin of agio

1675–85; < Italian a ( g ) gio exchange, premium, ultimately < Medieval Greek allágion, derivative of Greek allágē literally, change, barter; compare Venetian azo, Medieval Latin lazius

Example Sentences

Hamburgh, agio of the bank of, explained, 195.

From An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Garnier, Germain

Where free coinage is suspended, the peculiar services which only money can perform—or rather, the services which money has a differential advantage in performing—may easily lead to an agio for coined over uncoined metal.

From The Value of Money by Anderson, Benjamin M.

But as long as there is time for men to work things out, I should not expect the legal tender feature, per se, to add to the agio of coined metal even under restricted coinage.

From The Value of Money by Anderson, Benjamin M.

But an agio on coined over uncoined metal is quite possible, and has frequently occurred.

From The Value of Money by Anderson, Benjamin M.

The premium or discount on foreign bills of exchange is sometimes called agio.

From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary by Webster, Noah