[a. It. agio, aggio ease, convenience.]
1. The percentage of charge made for the exchange of paper-money into cash, or for the exchange of a less valuable metallic currency into one more valuable; hence, the excess value of one currency over another.
1682. Scarlett, Stile of Exch., 3. One party allows the other a certain profit upon the certain species he desireth; and that profit is called by the Italians Aggio.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. II. ii. 330. Bank money … bears an agio of four or five per cent.
1860. Ellicott, Life of our Lord, vii. 293, note. The agio exacted in changing common money into sacred, or the shekel into two half-shekels was great.
1875. Jevons, Money, viii. 72. Yet an agio, or allowance, being made for the average depreciation, the old standard of value and money of account may be retained.
2. loosely, Money-changing, exchange-business.
1817. Scott, Rob Roy (1855), 11. The mysteries of agio, tariffs, tare and tret.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Revol., II. V. ii. 285. Chabot, disfrocked Capuchin, skilful in agio. [Cf. ‘Cet homme entend l’agio.’ Littré.]
3. Comb. agio-jobber.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Revol. (1871), III. IV. iv. 154. Lest Girondin Monsieurs, Agio-jobbers … corrupt their morals.
