# Introduction to Zend_Currency

`Zend_Currency` is part of the strong support for I18n in Zend Framework. It handles all issues related to currency, money representation, formatting, exchange services and calculation.

## Why should you use Zend_Currency?

`Zend_Currency` offers you the following benefit:

- Complete Locale support

  This component works with all available locales and therefore knows about more than 100 different localized currencies. This includes informations like currency names, abbreviations, money signs and much more.

- Reusable Currency Definitions

  `Zend_Currency` has the advantage that already defined currency representations can be reused. You could also have 2 different representations for the same currency.

- Currency calculation

  `Zend_Currency` allows you also to calculate with currency values. Therefore, it provides you an interface to exchange services.

- Additional Methods

  `Zend_Currency` includes several additional methods that offer detailed informations about currencies like which currency is used within a defined region and what are the known abbreviations of a currency.