As you know, the progenitors of all bankers were moneylenders, which existed in the VIII century BC. e. Yes, and the merchants of Babylonia are charged with creating the first bank ticket, or bill of exchange - gudu, which was the same means of payment as gold. But the prototypes of banks appeared already in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Then the practice began to put money on a deposit at interest.
Who is the first banker?
Due to the fact that usury was not considered a noble cause, in ancient Greece, bankers - trapezites - became free slaves who accepted jewelry and money from residents with the condition of their preservation and subsequent return with interest.
The very definition of “bank” did not yet exist. It was invented in the Middle Ages, and while the temples were in competition with usurers, since people willingly brought their savings to custody "under the protection of the Gods." Accordingly, priests kept records of values: coins used in cash circulation were stored in clay pots marked with letters of the alphabet. Gold bullion, which appeared later, was also brought to the temple for storage (today it is a banking operation on the deposit or lease of a bank cell).
In Rome, on the contrary, a noble estate was engaged in a loan of money for growth, they were called Mensaria. They successfully transited money from one city to another. With the development of trade and the advent of coins of various minting, there were those who helped exchange money at the exchange rate for coins officially accepted in the city. Of course, money changers left themselves a “commission” for the provision of their services.
The foundation of the first bank
We can say that the term “bank”, the definition of which we consider in our article, appeared in the Middle Ages from the Italian banco - “table”, “counter”. Then the money changers were renamed as bankers. Medieval banks were located in market squares, where bankers, who had expanded their powers, could already receive money for storage and make payments by debiting one client’s account to another one at a table covered with a green cloth. This turned out to be the best solution, since it was not necessary to transport and count coins. And by the way, Jews and Italians traditionally became bankers. And so the bank got its new definition.
Bancodella Piazade Rialto is the first bank founded in the city of Venice in 1584 by decree of the Senate of the Republic of Venice. At that time, the republic was a monopolist in banking, because private individuals were forbidden to conduct monetary operations. The Republic of Venice was the focus of trade. Merchants came here, which means that people were needed who provided loans and were able to conduct monetary settlements. Banks began to appear in other cities. And since it was unsafe to keep money in the shop, they began to build stone houses, where these financial institutions were located.
Modern "counters"
The current definition of a bank includes many functions performed by the named institution. These include:
- Operations with cash, securities, precious metals.
- Issuing a loan not only to individuals, but also to legal societies.
- Acceptance for storage of the values ​​of the population.
By the way, the meaning of the word "bank" can be as follows:
- In Newfoundland, this is a cod fishing boat.
- In Azerbaijan, in the Salyan region - an urban-type settlement.
- This is the name of the card game.
- Money at stake.
- This is the last name.
Thanks to ubiquitous computerization and telephony, opportunities have appeared that were not in antiquity. And now, looking for a definition for the word “bank”, one can mention that it is possible to conduct financial transactions and monitor the movement of one’s money without leaving home.