List of oldest banks in continuous operation
This list of the oldest banks includes financial institutions in continuous operation, operating with the same legal identity without interruption since their establishment until the present time.
Depending on the definition, the world's oldest bank is either Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena or Berenberg Bank. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded in its present form in 1624, but traces its history to a mount of piety founded in 1472. The Berenberg company was founded in 1590 and has operated continuously ever since with the same family as owners or major co-owners. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena is today a large Italian retail bank, while Berenberg Bank is primarily involved in investment banking and private banking for wealthy customers; in any event Berenberg Bank is the world's oldest merchant bank or investment bank. The world's oldest central bank is the Sveriges Riksbank, which was founded in 1668.
Banks established before 1600
Year | Company | Country (historic) | Country (modern) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1472
1624 |
Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena | Siena, Republic of Florence | Italy | Tracing its history to a mount of piety founded in 1472, but founded in its present form in 1624 |
1590 | Berenberg Bank | Hamburg, Holy Roman Empire | Germany | The oldest bank operating continuously with the same legal identity; the oldest merchant bank |
Banks established in the 17th century
Year | Company | Country (historic) | Country (modern) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1664 | Child & Co. | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | The oldest British bank. |
1668 | Sveriges Riksbank | Sweden | Sweden | The world's oldest central bank |
1672 | C. Hoare & Co | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | One of the oldest British banks and the oldest privately owned bank, not a Limited Company. |
1674 | Metzler Bank | Frankfurt | Germany | |
1690 | Barclays | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | |
1692 | Coutts | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | |
1694 | Bank of England | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | |
1695 | Bank of Scotland | Kingdom of Scotland | United Kingdom | |
Banks established in the 18th century
Year | Company | Country (historic) | Country (modern) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1717 | Drummonds Bank | Kingdom of Great Britain | United Kingdom | No longer an independent bank, wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Scotland but separately registered and incorporated. |
1727 | Royal Bank of Scotland | Kingdom of Great Britain | United Kingdom | |
1737 | Van Lanschot | Dutch Republic | Netherlands | |
1747 | Banque Nagelmackers | Liège | Belgium | |
1750 | Rahn+Bodmer | Zürich | Switzerland | |
1760 | Banque Courtois | Kingdom of France | France | |
1765 | Lloyds Bank | Kingdom of Great Britain | United Kingdom | |
1774 | Fürstlich Castell'sche Bank | Würzburg | Germany | |
1780 | Landolt & Cie | Neuchâtel | Switzerland | |
1782 | Bank of Spain | Spain | Spain | |
1783 | Bank of Ireland | Kingdom of Ireland | Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland | |
1784 | The Bank of New York | United States | United States | Oldest US bank tracing to its original incorporation, without resorting to an acquired predecessor |
1785 | Trinkaus & Burkhardt | Palatinate | Germany | |
1786 | Hottinger & Cie | Kingdom of France | Switzerland | |
1787 | La Roche & Co. | Basel | Switzerland | |
1787 | Raphaels Bank | Kingdom of Great Britain | United Kingdom | |
1789 | Sal. Oppenheim | Cologne | Germany | Acquired by Deutsche Bank, which began shutting it down as a separate entity in 2017 |
1792 | State Street Corporation | United States | United States | Age dated to predecessor Union Bank |
1796 | Hauck & Aufhäuser | Frankfurt | Germany | |
1796 | Lombard Odier & Cie | Geneva | Switzerland | |
1798 | Donner & Reuschel | Hamburg | Germany | |
1798 | M. M. Warburg & Co. | Hamburg | Germany | |
1799 | Bank of the Manhattan Company | United States | United States | Predecessor institution to JPMorgan Chase |
Banks established in the 19th century
Year | Company | Country (historic) | Country (modern) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1800 | Washington Trust Company | United States | United States | United States' oldest commercial bank |
1800 | Banque de France | France | France | |
1804 | Schroders | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1805 | Pictet & Cie | France (Léman department) | Switzerland | |
1806 | State Bank of India | Calcutta under the British East India Company | India | India's oldest bank |
1808 | Banco do Brasil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil's oldest bank |
1810 | Brown, Shipley & Co. | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1811 | N M Rothschild & Sons | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1811 | Bank of Finland | Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire | Finland | |
1812 | Citibank | United States | United States | Originally City Bank of New York and then National City Bank of New York |
1812 | Sparkasse Schwyz | Swiss Confederation | Switzerland | |
1814 | De Nederlandsche Bank | Netherlands | Netherlands | |
1815 | Banque Bonhôte | Swiss Confederation | Switzerland | |
1816 | Cater Allen Private Bank | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1817 | SNS Bank | Netherlands | Netherlands | |
1817 | Bank of Montreal | Lower Canada | Canada | |
1817 | Bank of New South Wales | Colony of New South Wales | Australia | |
1818 | Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. | United States | United States | |
1818 | Groupe Caisse d'Épargne | Kingdom of France | France | |
1818 | Berliner Sparkasse | Prussia | Germany | |
1818 | Danmarks Nationalbank | Denmark | Denmark | |
1819 | Mirabaud & Cie | Swiss Confederation | Switzerland | |
1819 | Erste Bank | Austrian Empire | Austria | |
1819 | BankNewport | United States | United States | as Newport Savings Bank |
1820 | Nordea | Sweden | Sweden | |
1820 | Swedbank | Sweden | Sweden | |
1820 | Institution for Savings | United States | United States | |
1822 | Bank of the Province of Buenos Aires | Argentina | Argentina | |
1822 | DNB | Norway | Norway | as Christiania Sparebank |
1824 | Stadtsparkasse München | Bavaria | Germany | |
1825 | Česká spořitelna | Bohemia, Austrian Empire | Czech Republic | |
1825 | Key Bank | United States | United States | oldest ancestor chartered as Commercial Bank of Albany |
1826 | AEK Bank 1826 | Restored Swiss Confederacy | Switzerland | |
1827 | Hamburger Sparkasse | Hamburg | Germany | |
1828 | Bankhaus Spängler | Austrian Empire | Austria | |
1828 | De Curaçaosche Bank | Curaçao | Curaçao | |
1828 | Citizens Financial Group | United States | United States | |
1828 | Centreville Bank | United States | United States | |
1828 | Javasche Bank | Dutch East Indies | Indonesia | |
1829 | Clientis Caisse d’Epargne CEC | Restored Swiss Confederacy | Switzerland | |
1831 | Dedham Institution for Savings | United States | United States | |
1831 | National Grand Bank | United States | United States | |
1832 | Wilmington Savings Fund Society | United States | United States | |
1832 | Scotiabank | Lower Canada | Canada | |
1833 | Chemung Canal Trust Company | United States | United States | |
1833 | Arbuthnot Latham | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1834 | Bank BSU | Restored Swiss Confederacy | Switzerland | |
1834 | Old National Bank | United States | United States | |
1835 | Australia and New Zealand Banking Group | British Empire | Australia | founded in London as Bank of Australasia; first branch in Sydney |
1836 | The Honesdale National Bank | United States | United States | |
1836 | Ulster Bank | United Kingdom | United Kingdom & Republic of Ireland | Now a subsidiary of NatWest and operates in two countries |
1838 | Ballston Spa National Bank | United States | United States | |
1838 | Clydesdale Bank | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1838 | First National Bank | Cape Colony | South Africa | |
1838 | Mauritius Commercial Bank | British Mauritius | Mauritius | |
1839 | Provident Bank of New Jersey | United States | United States | |
1840 | Montepio | Portugal | Portugal | |
1841 | National Bank of Greece | Kingdom of Greece | Greece | |
1841 | Sberbank | Russian Empire | Russia | as Russian Imperial Savings Associations |
1844 | Bordier & Cie | Restored Swiss Confederacy | Switzerland | |
1844 | CaixaBank | Spain | Spain | as Caixa de Barcelona |
1846 | Banco de Portugal | Portugal | Portugal | |
1847 | Auckland Savings Bank | New Zealand | New Zealand | |
1847 | National Iron Bank | United States | United States | Oldest private bank in New England |
1848 | Lazard | United States | United States | |
1849 | Oddo et Cie | France | France | |
1849 | Hoerner Bank | Baden | Germany | |
1849 | Australian Mutual Provident Society | New South Wales | Australia | |
1850 | Spar- und Leihkasse Bucheggberg | Switzerland | Switzerland | |
1850 | Bank Sparhafen Zürich | Switzerland | Switzerland | |
1850 | Volksbank | Austrian Empire | Austria | |
1851 | Essex Savings Bank | United States | United States | |
1852 | PNC Bank | United States | United States | |
1851 | Bank of the Philippine Islands | Spanish Philippines | Philippines | |
1852 | Crédit Foncier de France | France | France | |
1852 | Wells Fargo | United States | United States | |
1853 | Beneficial Bank | United States | United States | |
1854 | Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank | United States | United States | |
1854 | UBS | Switzerland | Switzerland | |
1855 | Salem Five Cents Bank | United States | United States | |
1855 | Toronto-Dominion Bank | Province of Canada | Canada | as Bank of Toronto; merged with The Dominion Bank in 1955 |
1856 | Credit Suisse | Switzerland | Switzerland | |
1856 | Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | |
1856 | Garanti Bank | Ottoman Empire | Turkey | as Ottoman Bank; merged 2001 |
1856 | M&T Bank | United States | United States | |
1856 | Regions Bank | United States | United States | as 1st National Bank of Huntsville; merged with two other banks in 1971 |
1857 | Santander | Spain | Spain | |
1857 | Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria | Spain | Spain | |
1858 | Fifth Third Bank | United States | United States | |
1858 | Bendigo Bank | Colony of Victoria | Australia | |
1858 | Standard Chartered | British Raj | India | |
1859 | National Bank of Canada | Province of Canada | Canada | |
1859 | Standard Chartered (Singapore) | Straits Settlement | Singapore | First few foreign banks established in Singapore. |
1860 | State Bank of the Russian Empire | Russian Empire | Russia | |
1861 | Caixa Econômica Federal | Empire of Brazil | Brazil | |
1861 | Bank of New Zealand | New Zealand | New Zealand | |
1861 | Associated Bank | United States | United States | |
1862 | Bank Spółdzielczy w Brodnicy | Prussia | Poland | |
1862 | Standard Bank | Cape Colony | South Africa | |
1863 | Crédit Lyonnais | Second French Empire | France | |
1863 | U.S. Bank | United States | United States | through merger with The First National Bank of Cincinnati (National Charter #24) |
1863 | Ziraat Bankası | Ottoman Empire | Turkey | |
1864 | First National Bank of Pennsylvania | United States | United States | as First National Bank of West Greenville |
1864 | First Horizon National Corporation | United States | United States | as First National Bank |
1864 | Royal Bank of Canada | Province of Canada | Canada | |
1864 | Société Générale | Second French Empire | France | |
1864 | CEC Bank | Romanian United Principalities | Romania | |
1864 | Banco de Londres y México | Mexico | Mexico | |
1865 | HSBC | British Hong Kong | United Kingdom | as The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank |
1865 | Allahabad Bank | British Raj | India | |
1867 | Bank of Stockton | United States | United States | |
1867 | Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce | Province of Canada | Canada | as Canadian Bank of Commerce; merged on June 1, 1961 with the Imperial Bank of Canada |
1868 | Busey Bank | United States | United States | both Busey Brothers Bank, and bought-out The Bank of Edwardsville, date back to 1868 |
1868 | Sandy Spring Bank | United States | United States | |
1868 | Oldenburgische Landesbank | Oldenburg | Germany | |
1869 | Goldman Sachs | United States | United States | |
1869 | Baker Boyer Bank | United States | United States | |
1870 | Banco de Bogotá | Colombia | Colombia | |
1870 | Bank Handlowy | Congress Poland, Russian Empire | Poland | |
1870 | Commerzbank | Kingdom of Prussia | Germany | |
1870 | Deutsche Bank | Kingdom of Prussia | Germany | |
1870 | Dominick & Dominick | United States | United States | |
1870 | Zürcher Kantonalbank | Switzerland | Switzerland | |
1871 | Banco Nacional de Bolivia | Bolivia | Bolivia | |
1871 | Danske Bank | Denmark | Denmark | |
1871 | Handelsbanken | Sweden | Sweden | |
1871 | Wayne Bank | United States | United States | |
1872 | Truist Financial | United States | United States | |
1873 | The Daishi Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1873 | Zions Bank | United States | United States | |
1874 | Bank of Queensland | Queensland | Australia | |
1875 | Toowoomba Permanent Building Society | Queensland | Australia | |
1875 | Standard Chartered Bank | Straits Settlements | Malaysia | |
1876 | Pharaon & Chiha Bank | Ottoman Empire | Lebanon | Oldest bank in Lebanon; acquired by Byblos Bank in 2016[1] |
1876 | Caixa Geral de Depósitos | Portugal | Portugal | |
1877 | POSB Bank | Straits Settlements | Singapore | Singapore's oldest local bank. |
1877 | Banco de Costa Rica | Costa Rica | Costa Rica | |
1877 | QNB Bank | United States | United States | |
1877 | The Juroku Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1877 | The Eighteenth Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1878 | Close Brothers Group | United Kingdom | United Kingdom | |
1878 | Bank of the City of Buenos Aires | Argentina | Argentina | |
1878 | The Hyakujushi Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1878 | The 77 Bank | Japan | Japan | |
1878 | The Hyakugo Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1879 | Bulgarian National Bank | Principality of Bulgaria | Bulgaria | |
1879 | Kakegawa Shinkin Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1880 | Illawarra Mutual Building Society | Colony of New South Wales | Australia | |
1880 | National Bank of Romania | Romania | Romania | |
1881 | Oppenheimer | United States | United States | |
1881 | Banc Sabadell | Spain | Spain | |
1881 | Bank of Clarke County | United States | United States | |
1882 | Crédit Mutuel | French Third Republic | France | |
1882 | Bank of Japan | Japan | Japan | |
1883 | Bank Mendes Gans | Netherlands | Netherlands | |
1883 | Hancock Bank | United States | United States | |
1884 | Tatra banka | Kingdom of Hungary | Slovakia | |
1884 | National Bank of Serbia | Kingdom of Serbia | Serbia | |
1884 | Banque de Tunisie | French protectorate of Tunisia | Tunisia | |
1884 | Banco Nacional de Mexico | Mexico | Mexico | |
1885 | HSBC El Salvador | El Salvador | El Salvador | |
1886 | Banca Sella Group | Kingdom of Italy | Italy | as Gaudenzio Sella & C. |
1886 | E. Gutzwiller & Cie. Banquiers | Switzerland | Switzerland | |
1886 | Banco Francés del Río de la Plata | Argentina | Argentina | |
1887 | Banco Nacional de la República Oriental del Uruguay | Estado Oriental del Uruguay | República Oriental del Uruguay | The only part of the bank that did not go into bankruptcy, the mortgage section, became in 1892 the Banco Hipotecario del Uruguay, nationalized in 1912 and still in operation. |
1888 | Powell Valley National Bank | United States | United States | |
1889 | Bryn Mawr Trust | United States | United States | |
1889 | Northern Trust | United States | United States | |
1889 | First National Bank of Berryville | United States | United States | |
1890 | Banco de Venezuela | Venezuela | Venezuela | |
1891 | Banco de la Nación Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | |
1893 | Banca d'Italia | Kingdom of Italy | Italy | |
1893 | Banco de Chile | Chile | Chile | |
1893 | Blue Ridge Bank | United States | United States | |
1893 | National Australia Bank | Colony of Victoria | Australia | |
1894 | First Bank of Nigeria | Lagos Colony | Nigeria | |
1895 | Punjab National Bank | British Raj | India | |
1895 | Bankwest | Colony of Western Australia | Australia | as Agricultural Bank of Western Australia; from October 2008 a corporate division of Commonwealth Bank of Australia |
1895 | Bank Rakyat Indonesia | Dutch East Indies | Indonesia | |
1896 | The Awa Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1896 | Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay | Uruguay | Uruguay | |
1896 | Kenya Commercial Bank Group | East Africa Protectorate | Kenya | as a subsidiary of National Bank of India |
1898 | National Bank of Egypt | Egypt | Egypt | |
1899 | Bank of Cyprus | British Cyprus | Cyprus | |
1899 | Fukui Bank (ja) | Japan | Japan | |
1899 | Bank of Taiwan | Taiwan under Japanese rule | Taiwan | |
1899 | First Commercial Bank | Taiwan under Japanese rule | Taiwan | |
References
- "News Room | Byblos Bank Acquires Banque Pharaon & Chiha | Lebanon | Byblos Bank". www.byblosbank.com. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
Literature
- Manfred Pohl, Sabine Freitag, Handbook on the History of European Banks, European Association for Banking History, 1994