Which Bond gets the biggest payoff for his pound?

Spectre, the latest Bond film, takes place in Italy, Austria, Morroco and Mexico and throughout the years, Bond has globe trotted to some of the world’s most glamorous and exotic locales. Among these desirable destinations, the US and countries in Europe have topped the list as the most traveled to locations. There’s always a debate about who is the better Bond, but when it comes to the spending power of the pound, who had it best?

Connery fares best in America

From our research, Sean Connery clearly had the best purchasing power among all the Bonds. In 1965, when Connery was sniffing out bombs in Miami in Thunderball, the pound traded for $2.80. Twenty years later, when Roger Moore was saving California’s Silicon Valley in A View to Kill, the pound bought a measly $1.30.

We listed all the movies and years in which Bond movies took place in the US, reviewed the historical rates between the GBP and USD for these years and found that the best rate was 2.80 in 1965’s Thunderball starring Sean Connery. The worst rate of 1.30 was in 1985’s A View to a Kill with Roger Moore. These rates are compared in the following table.

Pound hits hardest in Craig’s debut

Daniel Craig starred in the three movies that were set in Europe and he clearly would have had the best time in 2006’s Casino Royale set in breathtaking Montenegro, his Bond debut, when the pound was worth €1.47. Two year later, in 2008 for Quantum of Solace, the euro sunk to €1.26.

We compared the GBP and EUR in years that Bond visited Europe, which was three times since the Euro was issued in 1999. The following table lists these years and highlights the best and worst rates.

Bond’s best holiday bet

When Bond is not serving as agent 007 for MI6, where does he go on vacation? Is the US the best destination or do Bond’s pounds fare better in other popular backdrops for the films—and holiday hot spots—including France, Italy and the Bahamas?

According to our research, the US was not the best vacation destination for Bond. In 1985, Roger Moore would have gotten a better value visiting the Amalfi Coast (ITL) in Italy. In 1965, Connery should have spent his summer on the French Riviera (FRF) and winter holidaying in the Bahamas (BSD).

Europe bodes well for Spectre’s Bond

Bond has masterfully defeated evil enemy forces and kept the world safe for more than 50 years. As an agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service, he should know in which countries he can best stretch MI6’s money. With the euro struggling recently, Spectre’s Bond will probably get the biggest bang for his buck in Europe.

We may not be international espionage agents like Bond, but next time you’re headed overseas, save money on your international payments by using a trusted currency comparison tool.

FXcompared Intelligence's research of Bond's currency rates was featured in The Telegraph, FX Week and LeapRate.