CHAPTER 2: CENTRAL BANK OF ENGLAND
2.1. History
The Bank of England, officially the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, is the central
bank of the United Kingdom , Northern Ireland and the model on which most modern central
banks rely. Founded in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in operation today, after Sveriges
Riksbank. Bank of England is the 8th oldest bank in the world. It was created to act as a banker
for the UK Government and remains one of the bankers for the UK Government. The bank was
privately owned by shareholders from 1694 until it was nationalized in 1946.
In 1998, it became an independent public institution, wholly owned by the Treasury Department
on behalf of the government, with independence in monetary policy setting. The bank is one of
eight banks authorized to issue banknotes in the UK, but it has a monopoly on paper money in
England and Wales and regulates the paper money issue of commercial banks Scotland and
Northern Ireland.
The Bank’s headquarters have been in the financial district of London, City of London, on