Banker

[Fr. banquier.] One who keeps a bank; a person who traffics in money, negotiates bills of exchange, .- One who is the custodian of money held in trust, to be refunded to the owner as occasion may require. See BANKING. -A covering for a seat in the form of a cushion. ( Mar. ) A ve el employed in the Newfoundland cod fisheries. (Masonry.) A stone bench used by masons in cutting out their work. father, is called Argentarius (Suet. Aug. c. 3), and Men sari us (Ibid. c. 4. fin .). There was also a cla of money lenders of an inferior description, called Mummularioli . The latter were also a sort of bankers or dealers in money, who combined with their dealings the busine of a ayers, for which purpose they were appointed to estimate the goodne or value of money, as to its weight, finene of metal, and intrinsic worth. The Argentarii introduced one of the greatest conveniences in banking that of making payments by means of checks or written orders, called præscript i ones or at tri but i ones . - During the Middle Ages, when commerce was but little developed, there was little field for banking operations; but the busine was first established in Europe by the Lombard Jews in Italy, A. D. 808, of whom some settled in Lombard Street, London, where many bankers still have their places of busine . It seems to have been revived in Florence during the early part of the twelfth century. From the succe that attended the commercial enterprises of the Florentines, that city became the centre of the money transactions of every commercial country of Europe, and her merchants and bankers accumulated great wealth. At one time Florence is said to have had 80 bankers; and we find that between 1430 and 1433, 76 bankers at Florence lent the State 4,865,000 gold florins.-The earliest public bank in modern Europe was that of Venice, founded in 1157. It originated in the financial difficulties of the State, which, in order to extricate itself, had recourse to a forced loan from the citizens, promising them interest at the rate of four per cent. The stock was made transferable, and a body of commi ioners, called the Camera degli Imprest it i , or Chamber of Loans, was appointed to manage the transfer of stock and the payment of interest. This is believed to be the earliest instance on record of the funding system, and the first example in any country of a permanent national debt. This Chamber of Loans, as origi Bank'er's Note, n. ( Com .) A promi ory note given by a private banker, or banking institution, not incorpo-nally instituted for the purpose of managing the public rated; but resembling a bank-note in all other respects. Bank'et, n . ( Bricklaying .) A piece of wood on which Bank'-fence, n. A fence, or ha-ha, formed of a bank of earth. bricks are cut.