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Thislist of the oldest banks includes financial institutions incontinuous operation, operating with the same legal identity without interruption since their establishment until the present time.
The world's oldest bank isBanca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, while the world's oldest merchant bank isBerenberg Bank. Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded in its present form in 1624, but traces its history to amount 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 oldestcentral bank is theSveriges 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.[1]
| Year | Company | Country (historic) | Country (modern) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1472 | Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena | Siena,Republic of Siena |  Italy | The world's oldest bank. Founded as amount of piety, refounded in its present form in theRepublic of Florence in 1624 |
| 1590 | Berenberg Bank | Hamburg,Holy Roman Empire |  Germany | The oldest merchant bank |
| Year | Company | Country (historic) | Country (modern) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1668 | Sveriges Riksbank | Kingdom of Sweden |  Sweden | The world's oldestcentral 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 | Free City of Frankfurt | Germany | |
| 1690 | Barclays | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | |
| 1692 | Coutts & Co. | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | Part ofNatWest Group. |
| 1694 | Bank of England | Kingdom of England | United Kingdom | |
| 1695 | Bank of Scotland | Kingdom of Scotland | United Kingdom | Part ofLloyds Banking Group. |
