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What happened to City Bank of Philadelphia?
City Bank of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA failed, and Girard Trust Bank of Philadelphia, PA took it over on Sep 11, 1970. After 1 more change of hands, what was City Bank of Philadelphia is today part of BNY Mellon, National Association (Pittsburgh, PA).
The chain, step by step
From the day it opened to the bank at the end of the chain today. Each step is one entry in the FDIC's record.
- 1968City Bank of Philadelphia opens in Philadelphia, PA
- Sep 11, 1970FAILEDCity Bank of Philadelphia failed, and Girard Trust Bank of Philadelphia, PA took it over.FDIC certificate 19791 ends; its business continues under certificate 716. The FDIC's failure list dates the failure Sep 3, 1970.
- Jan 1, 1991MERGEDGirard Trust Bank (by then renamed Mellon Bank (East) PSFS, National Association) of Philadelphia, PA merged into Mellon Bank, National Association of Pittsburgh, PA.FDIC certificate 716 ends; its business continues under certificate 7946.
- TodayOPEN
BNY Mellon, National AssociationMain office Pittsburgh, PA · FDIC certificate 7946 · 26 offices in 16 states on June 30, 2026Every BNY Mellon, National Association office → Website on file with the FDIC: www.bny.com
If you still have something from City Bank of Philadelphia
A lien that was never released
City Bank of Philadelphia failed on Sep 3, 1970. For a failed bank placed in FDIC receivership, the FDIC may be able to issue the lien release, if the loan was paid off to the bank before it failed or to the FDIC afterward. The FDIC says that where a failed bank had an acquirer, its records in most cases went to that acquirer. Here the chain from the acquirer leads to BNY Mellon, National Association, which is worth asking too.
Requests go through the FDIC Information and Support Center with the recorded mortgage or title, and proof of payoff. The FDIC says to allow 30 business days once it has every document, and does not take requests by phone or email. Questions: FDIC Resolution Inquiries, 888-206-4662, 8am–4pm Central on weekdays.
An old account, passbook or CD
When a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, insured depositors become its customers right away (here, Girard Trust Bank). Start with BNY Mellon, National Association, and ask them to search under the name City Bank of Philadelphia.
This failure is older than the current federal rule on unclaimed deposits (mid-1993), so different rules apply. Search FDIC unclaimed funds search, search the unclaimed-property program of the state of the owner's last known address on the bank's records, and ask FDIC Resolution Inquiries at 888-206-4662 what applies to this institution.
A safe deposit box
The FDIC says that when a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, the branches usually reopen the next business day with box access. Today, ask BNY Mellon, National Association. A box abandoned for years may have been turned over to the state's unclaimed-property program.
Box contents are not covered by FDIC insurance.
Not sure this is your bank?
Many banks shared a name. Match the city and the years above against your paperwork, or search again with the town.
Credit unions were never FDIC-insured and are not in this record; the NCUA credit union lookup covers those. Banks that closed before about 1970 are not in the FDIC's list either.
One caution: banks also sell single branches. If the office you used was sold to a different bank along the way, the account went with the branch, not with this chain.
This page is drawn from FDIC records and federal guidance. It is not legal advice, and BankBranches is not a bank or a government office. More detail: lien releases · old passbooks and CDs · safe deposit boxes · unclaimed money.
Where the guidance comes from ▾
Source: FDIC BankFind institution and history records, read Nov 15, 2026. The FDIC's list covers banks that ended in about 1970 or later. Look up certificate 19791 in the FDIC BankFind Suite to see the government's own entry. Corrections: me@byclaude.net.