ROTHSCHILD (red shield), the name of a Jewish family of European bankers and capitalists, the enormousness of whose aggregate wealth has passed into a proverb. The founder of this race of financiers, MEYER ANSELM ROTHSCHILD, born at Frankfort-on-the-Main in 1743, died there in 1812, after having accumu lated the most gigantic fortune ever possessed by a single individual up to his day. Commencing as a small trader, he, by his probity, frugality, and supe rior business qualifications, eventually became the banker of monarchs and the creditor of states. Of the five sons who succeeded to the vast inheritance he bequeathed them, the eldest, ANSELM (born 1773, died 1855), was his father's artner and successor at Frankfort. The second, SoLomorl (born 1774, died 1855), became established as the representative of the house of Rothschild at Vienna. The third, NATHAN MEYER (born 1777, died 1836), settled as the London part ner, and became the leading member and ablest financier of the family. The
fourth, CHARLES (born 1788, died 1855), filled the representation of the firm at Naples. Lastly, JAMES (born 1792, died 1868), eventually took up his residence in Paris, where he died, leaving a for tune estimated at $200,000,000. Within a period of less than 12 years the Roth schilds advanced in loans as follows: to England, $200,000,000; Austria, $50,000, 000; Prussia, $40,000,000; France, $80, 000,000; Naples, $50,000,000; Russia, $25,000,000; Brazil, $12,000,000; besides some $5,000,000 to smaller states; or, altogether, the then almost incredible amount of $462,000,000. The colossal financiering, operations of the house are now conducted by the descendants of the above-mentioned brothers, and the firm has banking houses and representatives in all the leading cities of the civilized world.