Banco Nacional Ultramarino

The Banco Nacional Marino Ultra (National Overseas Bank) is a Portuguese bank, which operates mainly in the former Portuguese colonies. She is a daughter of the public, Portuguese bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos.

History

The bank was founded in 1864 on the initiative of José da Silva Mendes Leal, the Minister of Marine and Overseas Affairs in Lisbon to control monetary transactions in the colonies. The bank issued the banknotes of the colonies. The following year branches (Cape Verde) were in Luanda ( Angola) and Praia opened in 1868 in São Tomé and Príncipe, Margão (Goa) and Mozambique.

1901 BNU lost their monopoly in the colonies, but kept on the right to issue bank notes there. A year later, branches were opened in Macao and Bolama ( Portuguese Guinea ). Only in 1912 was followed by a branch in Dili, with which also the last colony of Portuguese Timor was an offshoot. In addition, a branch is established in the former colony Brazil. 1919, the first branches were established in non- Lusophone areas, namely in Stanleyville (today's Kinshasa) in the Belgian Congo and French Paris. In 1920, a branch office in Bombay ( British India ).

1926 BNU lost their monopoly issue currency in Angola in favor of the newly established Banco de Angola. In addition, the branch was transferred to Stanleyville the Banco de Angola. 1929 BNU daughter Anglo - Portuguese Colonial and Overseas Bank was founded in London, the Paris branch became the subsidiary Banque Franco - Portugaise d' Outre- Mer.

1952, the branches were closed in India. 1965 founded the BNU, Banco Português do Atlântico, Banco de Angola and the South African General Mining Bank of Lisbon and South Africa, the later Mercantile Lisbon Bank. In the 1970s, the BNU bought shares on the Luxembourg Banque Interatlantique and opened an office in London. After the Carnation Revolution, the BNU was nationalized. Due to the independence of the Portuguese colonies lost the BNU important. In Mozambique, the local government nationalized the local parts of the bank and renamed it the Banco de Moçambique. The same thing happened in São Tomé and Principe. Here, the National Bank of São Tomé and Príncipe was born. In Cape Verde, as well as the Bank of Cape Verde was created.

1988, was next to the Republic of Portugal, the Caixa Geral de Depósitos the main shareholder of BNU. 1991, a branch in London was opened again in 1993 in Chinese Special Economic Zone Zhuhai. In 1993, the Caixa Geral de Depósitos also the majority shareholder in Banque Franco - Portugaise d' Outre- Mer. 1995 agreement was reached with the Government of the People's Republic of China, that after the return of Macao to China in 1999, the BNU further could issue banknotes in so far Portuguese possession until 2010. 1999 an office in Bombay and Panaji (Goa) was opened and re-opened a branch in Dili East Timor.

2000 agreed on the BNU Macau with that the bank continues to be managed the treasury of the Special Administrative Region in 2010. 2001 BNU was integrated into the Caixa Geral de Depósitos. The Banque Franco - Portugaise d' Outre- Mer, a subsidiary of Caixa Geral de Depósitos. The branch in Macau was approved by the Government of the Special Economic Zone on 1 July 2001 as the Banco Nacional Marino Ultra SA incorporated, but remained a wholly owned subsidiary of Caixa Geral de Depósitos. In 2002, the Caixa Geral de Depósitos also took over the majority of Mercantile Lisbon Bank of South Africa. Today it is called Mercantile Bank.