# XCD (Eastern Caribbean Dollar): What it Means, How it Works

![An image of several Eastern Caribbean $100 banknotes. ](https://www.investopedia.com/thmb/9wPsOMz83OhiK87Vtzjwany_2ks=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/EasternCaribbeanDollarWhatitMeansHowitWorksGettyImages-471883554-6da6b2d8c35d412daf8e8a0bfc38639e.jpg)

*— peeterv / Getty Images*

## What Is the XCD (Eastern Caribbean Dollar)?

XCD is the symbol for the Eastern Caribbean dollar, which is the official [currency](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/currency.asp) shared by eight Caribbean island countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Eastern Caribbean dollar is subdivided into 100 cents and has existed since 1965, when it supplanted the British West Indies dollar. This makes it among the oldest currencies in the region still in use. As of September 2022, 1 XCD is equal to [USD](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/u/usd-united-states-dollar.asp) $0.37.

### Key Takeaways

*   The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD) is the official currency of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), replacing the British West Indies dollar in 1965.
*   It is used on the island states of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
*   The currency is managed by the Eastern Caribbean Bank and has been pegged to the US Dollar since 1976.

## Understanding the XCD (Eastern Caribbean Dollar)

The Eastern Caribbean dollar serves as the official currency for the [Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/organisation-eastern-caribbean-states-oecs.asp) (OECS), an [economic and monetary union](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/currency-union.asp) established in 1981 to harmonize economic and trade policies among the 10 islands located in the Eastern Caribbean. Only eight of the participating countries use the XCD, however. Martinique remains affiliated with France and therefore uses the euro, while the British Virgin Islands use the U.S. dollar.

At its establishment, the Eastern Caribbean dollar replaced the British West Indies dollar [at par](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/at-par.asp). The Eastern Caribbean Currency Authority controlled the issuance of the Eastern Caribbean dollar and pegged its value at 4.8 XCD to 1 [GBP](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gbp.asp).

In 1976, the currency authority then re-[pegged](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/currency-peg.asp) the Eastern Caribbean dollar to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 2.7 XCD to 1 USD. The Eastern Caribbean Bank, established in 1983, subsequently took over the issuance of the currency, leaving the U.S. dollar peg in place.

The Eastern Caribbean Bank’s mandate covers regulation of [liquidity](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/liquidity.asp) throughout its member states, as well as the promotion of economic and monetary stability through support of economic development and maintenance of a sound financial structure. The bank sees its dollar peg as a primary means to maintain price stability throughout the region and keep [inflation](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/i/inflation.asp) in check.

## Other Caribbean Currencies

Despite their small size and relative proximity to one another, many other Caribbean nations use their own currencies. Barbados, which at one time used the Eastern Caribbean dollar, switched to its own dollar in 1973, pegged with the U.S. dollar at a rate of 2 [Barbadian dollars](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/b/bbd-barbados-dollar.asp) (BBD) to 1 USD.

Elsewhere, the [Trinidad and Tobago dollar](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/forex/t/ttd-trinidad-and-tobago-dollar.asp) (TTD), which is approximately the same age as the Eastern Caribbean dollar, began with a U.S. dollar peg and eventually moved to a [floating rate](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/floatingexchangerate.asp) in 1993. Likewise, Jamaican dollars (JMD), used on the island of Jamaica and issued by the Bank of Jamaica, float against other currencies. High inflation has led to a de facto phaseout of lower-denomination currencies in the country.

Despite the proliferation of various currencies throughout the Caribbean region, most tourist destinations accept payment in major global currencies, including the U.S. dollar (USD), British pound sterling (GBP), and the euro ([EU](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/euro.asp)).

> **Article Sources**
>
> 1.  Eastern Caribbean Central Bank. "[Series 1: 1984](https://www.eccb-centralbank.org/p/series-1-a-1984)."
>     
> 2.  Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States. "[About the OECS](https://oecs.org/who-we-are/about-us)."
>     
> 3.  International Monetary Fund. "[The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union: Institutions, Performance, and Policy Issues](https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/nft/op/195/index.htm)."
>     
> 4.  Easter Caribbean Central Bank. "[About the ECCB](https://www.eccb-centralbank.org/p/about-the-eccb)."
>     
> 5.  Central Bank of Barbados. "[The Role of Bank Regulation](http://www.centralbank.org.bb/financial-stability-and-financial-regulation/regulatory-framework/role-of-bank-regulation)."
>     
> 6.  Central Bank of Barbados. "[Banknotes](http://www.centralbank.org.bb/banknotes)."
>     
> 7.  Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. "[Exchange Rate Management](https://www.central-bank.org.tt/about/our-mission/exchange-rate-management)."