I ordered four certificates (birth/death) from the General Register's Office ,Dublin on October 3,1999.I spoke to them on the 'phone (very cordial) and I was told that the price would be 5.50L each and a U.S. check for $40.00 would be sufficient.As of March 8,2000, the exchange rate for the Irish punt in the U.S. was 1.319116. I ordered two books from the Public Record Office,Kew on January 28,2000. Price was 24.29L ,converted by Visa card to 1.6611774327 or $40.35. The exchange rate for the pound on March 8,2000 was 1.715527.They would take only pound sterling.or an acceptable credit card. There is a currency converter at htt://www.xe.net/ucc/convert.cgi. Credit card rates always seem to be slightly higher than existing rates.If you challenge them expect a specious argument. Incidentally, the book titles are:Records of Merchant Shipping and Seamen,by Kelvin Smith,Christopher T Watts and Michael J Watts; Naval Records for Genealogists,by N A M Rodger.