Bank of Amsterdam - Fall of The Bank

Fall of The Bank

The bank, administered by a committee of city government officials concerned to keep the bank's affairs secret, initially operated on a deposit-only basis, but by 1657, was allowing depositors to overdraw their accounts, and was providing large loans to the Municipality of Amsterdam, and the Dutch East India Company. While initially this had remained confidential, it became public knowledge by 1790, in consequence the premium on the bank money dropped from around 6.25% at its peak to a 2% discount, and by the end of the year, the bank declared itself insolvent, offering to sell silver at a 10% discount to depositors. The City of Amsterdam took over direct control in 1791, before finally closing it in 1819.

Read more about this topic:  Bank Of Amsterdam

Famous quotes containing the words fall of, fall and/or bank:

    It was a quiet Sunday morning, with more of the auroral rosy and white than of the yellow light in it, as if it dated from earlier than the fall of man, and still preserved a heathenish integrity.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)

    Our medieval historians who prefer to rely as much as possible on official documents because the chronicles are unreliable, fall thereby into an occasionally dangerous error. The documents tell us little about the difference in tone which separates us from those times; they let us forget the fervent pathos of medieval life.
    Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)

    ... an adamantine island chained to the shifting bank of the Channel.
    Christina Stead (1902–1983)