Find the current official exchange rate between the Great Britain pound sterling (GBP) and the U.S. dollar (USD). Exchange rates are printed in national newspapers or can be found at news outlets online, such as the BBC's official website.
Create a conversion formula of X*Y where X represents the amount of GBP you wish to convert and Y is the official GBP to USD exchange rate. For example, if you wish to convert 100 GBP and the exchange rate is 1.521, you would have 100*1.521.
Decide how many GBP you wish to convert and multiply it by the exchange rate. In the example of 100 GBP and a 1.521 exchange rate, you would multiply 100 by 1.521.
The result is the equivalent amount of USD you would get. For 100 GBP multiplied by a 1.521 exchange rate, you would get 152.1 or $152.10. You now know the true USD value of your GBP.
Find a currency exchange location to make the actual monetary trade. Many places will exchange currency including banks, post offices, some hotels and special currency exchange stores. Most locations will charge a transaction fee or commission for exchanging your money to cover their potential loss should the exchange rate suddenly fluctuate. Look for a location that will give you the closest amount of USD to the true value you calculated.
