The Calcutta Bank (1824)

The Calcutta Bank (1824)
Company typePrivate sector
IndustryBanking, Insurance, Capital Markets and allied industries
Founded1 April 1824;
200 years ago
 (1824-04-01) as The Calcutta Bank (1824)
Defunct31 March 1828 (1828-03-31)
Fatemerged with The Commercial Bank (1819) to form The Union Bank (1828) in 1828
Headquarters
Number of locations
Bengal Presidency
Area served
India
ProductsDeposits, Personal Banking Schemes, C & I Banking Schemes, Agri Banking Schemes, SME Banking Schemes
ServicesBanking, Trade Finance

The Calcutta Bank was a bank founded in the year 1824 in British India. The bank was the twelfth oldest bank in India.[1]

The bank was merged with The Commercial Bank (1819) to form The Union Bank (1828) in 1828. Further, The Union Bank itself became defunct in 1848.[1]

History

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Founding

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The bank was established in 1824 by the British agency house of Palmer and Company.[2][3]

The bank played a major role in the early economic history of East Bengal and Bangladesh.[4]

Management

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Although the bank was largely a private bank, it enjoyed patronage from the then government of India, the East India Company.[citation needed]

The bank was staffed by mostly British nationals who were drawn mainly from the East India Company.[citation needed]

The bank had most of its offices and branches in East Bengal, which is the present day Bangladesh.[citation needed]

Final Years

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The bank lasted in business for only four years and was finally merged with The Commercial Bank (1819) to form The Union Bank (1828) in 1828. In 1828, there was an economic crisis which forced a Bank run on the bank and precipitated the merger with The Commercial Bank (1819) to form The Union Bank (1828) in 1828.[3][1][5][unreliable source?]

The bank also issued its own currency notes in its four years of existence.[5][unreliable source?][6][7]

The total value of the banknotes issued by the bank is estimated to be around Rupees 20 lakhs.[5][unreliable source?]

Legacy

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The bank is notable for being the twelfth oldest bank in India.[1] It is also notable for being one of the first institutions in India to issue its own paper banknotes or currency notes.[6][7][3]

The ability of private banks to issue their own currency notes was taken away by The Paper Currency Act, 1861.[8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Reserve Bank of India - Museum". rbi.org.in. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  2. ^ "History of Banking" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Development of banking institutions in India in the eighteenth-nineteenth century" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Banking in Bangladesh | Independent". m.theindependentbd.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Nilaish (28 March 2012). A Comprehensive Guide of Early Paper Money of India (1770–1861 A.D.): (1770–1861 A.D.). ISBN 9781469166285.
  6. ^ a b "India's First Currency Note". 5 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Early Bank Notes | Old Currency Bank Notes | Rare Bank Notes | Mintage World". mintageworld.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  8. ^ "Reserve Bank of India". www.rbi.org.in. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Reserve Bank of India - Museum". rbi.org.in. Archived from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2021.
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