This paper describes a newly constructed data set of all U.S. state banks from 1782 to 1861. It contains the names and locations of all banks and branches that went into business and an estimate of when each operated. The compilation is based on reported balance sheets, listings in banknote reporters, and secondary sources. Based on these data, the paper presents a count of the number of banks and branches in business by state. I argue that my series are superior to previously existing ones for

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... reasons of consistency, accuracy, and timing. The paper contains examples to support this argument. JEL: N21, G21 Keywords: State banks * Weber, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. I thank two referees for useful comments and suggestions. The views expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis or the Federal Reserve System.