The Bank of Barcelona was the first regional issuing bank in Spain. Thanks to the recent recovery of the Bank of Barcelona archive, we have analysed accounting ratios of solvency, liquidity and profitability in the 1844-1856 period. The analysis of the accounting ratios shows that the Bank of Barcelona increased its level of financial leverage. Shareholder profitability increased but solvency and liquidity showed a declining trend after the financial crisis of 1847-48. In the beginning of the banking system, when strict governmental control was lacking, shareholder profitability took priority over the other business aims such as solvency and liquidity.