What is the AUD/USD currency pair?
The AUD/USD currency pair is formed from the Australian dollar as the base currency and the United States dollar as the counter currency. Often referred to as the Aussie, it is the among most popular currency pairs represented on the entire Forex market.
A brief history of the US dollar
One of the world’s most influential currencies, the US dollar dates its history back to Joachimstal, now modern-day Germany. In the town, silver ‘thalers’ were minted, each with a standardised weight – 29.2 g. These coins were widely used across the European continent and eventually found its way to the New World – America.
Following the American Revolution, in 1772 the newly formed US Congress instated the ‘thaler’ as the official currency, although at a slightly lighter weight – 27.0 g. This was done as a method of standardisation, following the corrupt ‘continental bill’ system.
Although still closely tied to the price of silver and gold, the US dollar has developed as a currency spawning a multitude of coins and notes. Today, the currency is controlled by the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, established in 1913.
The USD is the world’s foremost reserve currency, held by numerous countries as part of their foreign exchange reserves. It makes up six of the eight most traded Forex pairs. The US dollar is denoted by the symbol $.
What’s the story behind the Australian dollar?
The official currency of Australia, like its US counterpart it is abbreviated to the symbol $, but to tell it apart often features A$ or AU$ at the start. It is also the official currency of Australia’s external territories – Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and the Cocos Islands – and independent states including Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Vanuatu, among others.
The history behind the Australian dollar dates back to 1966, before this the state used pounds, shillings and pence, introduced in 1910 and similar to the United Kingdom but with a distinctly different value due to continuous devaluation from 1931.
In order to integrate the decimal currency system, Australia decided to introduce a new currency, with a new moniker. Initially, the name ‘royal’ was suggested, and later approved. However, it wasn’t to last, the name proved so unpopular that before its release it was changed to the ‘dollar’.
As the world’s 5th most traded currency, it is a popular choice for Forex traders, in particular due to the stability of Australian politics and freedom of the exchange market.
What influences the AUD/USD pair?
The Australian dollar is considered to be a very liquid currency as the Australian Forex market is featured in the top ten biggest Forex markets throughout the globe. AUD/USD rate is impacted by the US Federal Reserve and the Federal Bank of Australia. The Australian dollar is positively correlated to the Canadian dollar. The influence is explained by the fact that the two countries have similar economies and export a lot of commodities.
Additionally, the pair is impacted by commodity prices, due to Australia’s strength in the area. So, if the prices of commodities rise, the Australian dollar also rises. GDP and unemployment also play a major role in the currency pair and influence its price movements.
How to trade AUD/USD?
Follow Capital.com to keep up-to-date on the latest fluctuations of the AUD/USD share price. Get the most current AUD/USD to help you trade on one of the world’s most liquid currency pairs.
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