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Bank of Amsterdam

Early (Dutch) bank

The Bank of Amsterdam or Wisselbank (Dutch: Amsterdamsche Wisselbank, lit. 'Exchange Bank of Amsterdam') was an early bank, vouched for by the city of Amsterdam, and established in 1609. It was the first public bank to offer accounts not directly convertible to coin. As such, it has been described by some as the first true central bank, even though that view is not uniformly shared.2 It ceased to exist in 1820.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Jan 31, 1609Founded1
  • HeadquartersAmsterdam1

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Saenredam - Het oude stadhuis te Amsterdam
Photo: Pieter Jansz. Saenredam, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

The Bank of Amsterdam or Wisselbank (Dutch: Amsterdamsche Wisselbank, lit. 'Exchange Bank of Amsterdam') was an early bank, vouched for by the city of Amsterdam, and established in 1609. It was the first public bank to offer accounts not directly convertible to coin. As such, it has been described by some as the first true central bank, even though that view is not uniformly shared. The Amsterdam Wisselbank was also active in the production of coins. For decades the assay master of the Bank sent out stocks of gold and silver to the various Mints in the United Netherlands to receive new coins in return.2

Timeline

  1. 1820Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. Jan 31, 1609Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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