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.

The world's oldest bank is Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, while the world's oldest merchant bank is 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. Banco di Napoli, which was absorbed by different entities between 2002–2018, had origins dating back to 1539, and until its absorption was likely the oldest bank worldwide in continuous operation; some scholars posit that its origins may be dated back to 1463. __TOC__

Banks established in the 15th and 16th centuries

YearCompanyCountry (historic)Country (modern)Notes1472Banca Monte dei Paschi di SienaSiena, Republic of SienaThe world's oldest bank. Founded as a mount of piety, refounded in its present form in the Republic of Florence in 16241590Berenberg BankHamburg, Holy Roman EmpireThe oldest merchant bank

Banks established in the 17th century YearCompanyCountry (historic)Country (modern)Notes1668Sveriges RiksbankKingdom of SwedenThe world's oldest central bank.1672C. Hoare & Co.Kingdom of EnglandOne of the oldest British banks and the oldest privately owned bank, not a limited company.1674Metzler BankFree City of Frankfurt 1690BarclaysKingdom of England1692Coutts & Co.Kingdom of EnglandPart of NatWest Group.1694Bank of EnglandKingdom of England1695Bank of ScotlandKingdom of ScotlandPart of Lloyds Banking Group.

Banks established in the 18th century YearCompanyCountry (historic)Country (modern)Notes1702Monte de Piedad de MadridSpainPredecessor institution to Bankia (today part of CaixaBank)1717Drummonds BankKingdom of Great BritainA branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland1727Royal Bank of ScotlandKingdom of Great BritainPart of NatWest Group1737Van Lanschot KempenDutch Republic The oldest independent bank in the NetherlandsInternational Investment UBS to sell its Netherlands wealth management bizhttps://www.internationalinvestment.net/internationalinvestment/news/3503988/ubs-sell-netherlands-wealth-management-biz Accessed 2 January 2021 and the Benelux.The New York Times Belgian Bank Deal 25 April 1990 https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/25/business/company-news-belgian-bank-deal.html Accessed 2 January 20211747Banque NagelmackersLiège1750Rahn+BodmerZürich1760Banque CourtoisKingdom of France1765Lloyds BankKingdom of Great BritainPart of Lloyds Banking Group.1774Fürstlich Castell'sche BankWürzburg1777Grenke BankBaden-Baden, GermanyPart of GRENKE AG1780Landolt & CieNeuchâtel1782Bank of SpainSpain1783Bank of IrelandKingdom of Ireland (and Northern Ireland)1784The Bank of New York Mellon CorporationUnited StatesOldest US bank tracing to its original incorporation, without resorting to an acquired predecessor1785Trinkaus & BurkhardtPalatinateAcquired in 1980s by Midland Bank and then 1992 to British bank HSBC1786Hottinger & CieKingdom of FranceEdmond de Rothschild Group acquired a 42.5% stake in Hottinger Group on 31 May 20221792State Street CorporationUnited StatesAge dated to predecessor Union Bank1796Hauck & AufhäuserFree City of Frankfurt1796Lombard Odier & CieGeneva1798Donner & ReuschelHamburg1798M. M. Warburg & Co.Hamburg1799Bank of the Manhattan CompanyUnited StatesPredecessor institution to JPMorgan Chase

See also History of banking List of oldest companies

Notes

References

Literature Manfred Pohl; Sabine Freitag (1994), Handbook on the History of European Banks, European Association for Banking History, Cambridge University Press.