Barclays Announces Benchmark Change to Three iPath Currency - 12 17 08

Contact: Peter Truell (212) 412 7576 peter.truell@barclayscapital.com Kristin Friel (212) 412 7521 kristin.friel@barclayscapital.com Christine Hudacko (415) 597 2687 christine.hudacko@barclaysglobal.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Barclays Announces Benchmark Change to Three iPath Currency Exchange Traded Notes New York, NY (December 17, 2008) – Barclays Bank PLC announced that the foreign exchange spot rates for each of the three iPath Currency Exchange Traded Notes (ETNs) will no longer be the rates reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York each day shortly after 10:00 a.m. on Reuters page 1FED. Effective December 18, 2008, these rates will be the rates reported on the respective Bloomberg screens at approximately 4:00 p.m., London time. This announcement follows the original announcement by the New York Federal Reserve Bank that it will discontinue the publication of foreign exchange rates on December 31, 2008, given the availability of alternative market-based sources for these rates. ®The specific iPath Currency ETNs impacted include the iPath EUR/USD Exchange Rate ETN ® ®(ERO), the iPath GBP/USD Exchange Rate ETN (GBB) and the iPath JPY/USD Exchange Rate ETN (JYN). The iPath Currency ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities linked to the performance of an exchange rate and issued by Barclays Bank PLC. For example, the return on ®the iPath GBP/USD Exchange Rate ETN is linked to the performance ...