Applying Euro Currency Formats

Before leaving the subject of custom number formats, there's one more custom number format. This is the Euro Currency number format that is supplied as part of the Euro Currency Tools add-in program that comes with Excel. This add-in is heaven sent if you deal with currency from the countries in the European Union that have recently adopted the euro as their basic currency.

When you activate this add-in, Excel adds a Euro button to the Formatting toolbar that automatically formats your cell selection with the euro currency symbol (€) and two decimal places. In addition to this formatting button, the add-in also provides you with a EuroValue toolbar that you can use to convert the euro currency values to the former currency of a particular member country and a member's former currency into euros. To make this type of conversion, all you have to do is click the appropriate conversion on its drop-down list.

The conversion options on this drop-down list make extensive use of the three-letter ISO codes that refer to particular countries and their former currencies within the union.

In addition to the EuroValue toolbar, the Euro Currency Tools add-in attaches a Euro Conversion command to the Tools pull-down menu. Selecting this command opens a Euro Conversion dialog box that also enables you to convert from one euro member currency to another.

EURO CONVERSION ISO CODESISO CodeCountry/RegionUnit of CurrencyATSAustriaSchillingBEFBelgiumFrancEUREuro member stateEuroFIMFinlandMarkkaFRFFranceFrancDEMGermanyDeutsche markGRDGreeceDrachmaIEPIrelandPoundITLItalyLiraLUFLuxembourgFrancNLGNetherlandGuilderPTEPortugalEscudoESPSpainPeseta