# Fifth Third and National Bank Charters

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-third-and-national-bank-charters/100820>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [March 29, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-third-and-national-bank-charters/100820 "2002-03-29T21:25:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Don\_Bosman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@Don\_Bosman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Bosman)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2002, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-third-and-national-bank-charters/100820/1 "2002-03-29T21:25:24Z")

</div>

Regarding your answer to  
“Whats with this Fifth Third”  
The answer about why there were 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th National banks is that is the order in which they received their federal charter to be banks. They operated under federal rules, and had to have Federal or National in the name of the bank.

Some banks didn’t want to be under federal charter and went with state charters instead. Looser rules. Those bank names had to have “State” in their name somewhere. In this area it used to be East Lansing State Bank, for instance.

I consider it an honor to be able to contribute to your work.

Don Bosman

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-third-and-national-bank-charters/100820/2 "2002-03-30T01:04:24Z")

</div>

**Don** Welcome to the boards.

They like you to supply a link to the thread about which you are talking. Like this [What gives with Fifth Third Bank?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/020118.html)

It makes it easier for people to follow your thread.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-third-and-national-bank-charters/100820/3 "2002-03-30T01:08:22Z")

</div>

…and my memory is that there was a thread about this(which probably got wiped out in the board attack.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifth-third-and-national-bank-charters/100820/4 "2002-03-30T06:48:26Z")

</div>

Good information Don Bosman. The thing is, Mr. Adams (and/or his editor) likes to be able to verify information. Where did you learn about this?