**Exhibit 24**

 

**MERCANTILE BANKSHARES CORPORATIONPOWER OF ATTORNEY**

 

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESEPRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes andappoints Edward J. Kelly, III and John L. Unger, and each of them, his or hertrue and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with full power ofsubstitution and resubstitution, to sign for the undersigned and in theundersigned’s name as a director of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation theAnnual Report on Form 10-K of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation for the yearended December 31, 2004, to be filed with the Securities and ExchangeCommission and to file the same with the Securities and Exchange Commission,with all exhibits and schedules thereto, and other documents in connectiontherewith, and any and all further amendments to said report, granting untosaid attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s) full power and authority to do andperform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in andabout the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might orcould do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that saidattorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), or their substitute(s), may lawfully do orcause to be done by virtue hereof. This Power of Attorney may be executed in oneor more counterparts. 

 
| Cynthia  A. Archer           |   |   |     |                |
|------------------------------|--------|--------|----------|---------------------|
| Cynthia  A. Archer           |   |   | Director | March  8, 2005      |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
| R.  Carl Benna               |   |   |     |                |
| R.  Carl Benna               |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
|  /s/ Richard O. Berndt  |   |   |     |                |
| Richard  O. Berndt           |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
|  /s/ Harold B. Bowen    |   |   |     |                |
| Howard  B. Bowen             |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
|  /s/ William R. Brody   |   |   |     |                |
| William  R. Brody            |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
|  /s/ Eddie C. Brown     |   |   |     |                |
| Eddie  C. Brown              |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
|  /s/ George L. Bunting  |   |   |     |                |
| George  L. Bunting           |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                         |   |   |     |                |
|  /s/ Anthony W. Deering |   |   |     |                |
| Anthony  W. Deering          |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |

 

1

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|  /s/ Darrell D. Friedman      |   |   |     |
|------------------------------------|--------|--------|----------|
| Darrell  D. Friedman               |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Freeman A. Hrabowski     |   |   |     |
| Freeman  A. Hrabowski              |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
| /s/  Robert A. Kinsley             |   |   |     |
| Robert  A. Kinsley                 |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Alexander T. Mason       |   |   |     |
| Alexander  T. Mason                |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Jenny G. Morgan          |   |   |     |
| Jenny  G. Morgan                   |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Morton B. Plant          |   |   |     |
| Morton  B. Plant                   |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Christian H.  Poindexter |   |   |     |   |
| Christian  H. Poindexter           |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Clayton S. Rose          |   |   |     |   |
| Clayton  S. Rose                   |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ James L. Shea            |   |   |     |   |
| James  L. Shea                     |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Donald L. Shepard        |   |   |     |   |
| Donald  L. Shepard                 |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |
|                               |   |   |     |   |
|  /s/ Jay M. Wilson            |   |   |     |   |
| Jay  M. Wilson                     |   |   | Director | March 8,  2005 |

 

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