Bank of Amsterdam

Timeline

1. 1609–1615Amsterdam · North HollandThe municipal authorities established a public exchange bank that accepted coin deposits from various countries and credited accounts at standard fineness, banning private foreign payments and laying the foundation for unified monetary bookkeeping.
2. c. 1611–1640Amsterdam commercial district · NetherlandsFrom the 1610s merchants settled large VOC trade, East Indies goods, and Baltic grain transactions through transfers between accounts on the bank's ledgers, making Amsterdam Europe's clearing center.
3. c. 1640–1800Amsterdam · NetherlandsThe banking system continued operating through the 17th and 18th centuries; Hamburg, London, and other cities successively established similar public exchange banks, and the Amsterdam model became a template for modern financial infrastructure.
4. 1800–1820Amsterdam · NetherlandsDuring the French occupation the bank's functions were restricted; in 1814 it was reorganized as the Amsterdam branch of the Bank of the Netherlands, and formally closed in 1820, completing the transition to the modern central banking system.