Mayer Rothschild’s original name was Mayer Amschel Bauer but changed it to the previous family name of Rothschild — meaning red shield in English — in reference to the family's official house sign, the red shield. It became the logo type for the family business, a bank and a brothel, that was founded by his father, Moses. Born in Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany, on September 19, 1743, Bauer showed immense intellectual ability from a young age. He learned the value of money and about the lending business from his father. He went to work in a bank in Hannover after his father died. Soon after starting there, they recognized his skills and was he awarded junior partnership in the bank. After some time with the bank, he returned to Frankfurt to purchase the businesses his father had established in 1750. Upon returning, he recognized the true significance of the big red shield hanging in those businesses and changed his last name. Soon after meeting General von Estorff in 1760, he began selling rare coins to him, the heads of state, and princes. With the profits, he gained princes' trust and was left with fortunes. He took those funds and created the first international bank. He is considered to be the founding father of international banking, thanks to the five sons he installed in European cities to manage and conduct business there. Through arranged marriages and other movements, Rothschild kept the family's large fortune intact. At the time of his death in 1812, Rothschild was one of the most influential men in Europe.