National Provincial Bank Limited

Beautifully engraved certificate from the National Provincial Bank Limited issued in 1957-1966. This historic document has an ornate border around it with a vignette of the National Provincial Bank of England. This item has the printed signatures of the Company’s Director and Registar and is over 36 years old.






Certificate Vignette



National Provincial Bank was founded in late 1833 and opened its first branch at Gloucester in early 1834. It was conceived from the outset as a national bank, with branches across England and Wales, and by 1836 there were over 20 branches, stretching from Cardiff to Ipswich. The existence of a purely administrative office in London enabled National Provincial Bank to issue its own banknotes. The bank continued to expand by opening new branches and taking over local banking companies, and in 1866 a magnificent head office and banking hall was opened in the heart of the City of London. The branch network rapidly expanded across the capital and by 1900 the bank had around 250 branches. National Provincial Bank purchased a number of other banks during the 1920s including the private bank of Coutts & Co in 1920. In 1918 National Provincial Bank amalgamated with another major clearing bank, Union of London & Smiths Bank, operating thereafter as National Provincial & Union Bank of England. In 1924 this name was shortened to the National Provincial Bank. During the 1960s National Provincial entered merchant and off-shore banking and acquired District Bank and Isle of Man Bank. It merged with Westminster Bank to create National Westminster Bank in 1970.