**Exhibit 24**

 

**MERCANTILE BANKSHARES CORPORATION**

**POWER OF ATTORNEY**

KNOWALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears belowconstitutes and appoints Edward J. Kelly, III and John L. Unger, and each ofthem, his or her true and lawful attorney(s)-in-fact and agent(s), with fullpower of substitution and resubstitution, to sign for the undersigned and inthe undersigned’s name as director of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation theAnnual Report on Form 10-K of Mercantile Bankshares Corporation for the yearended December 31, 2006, 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 Powerof Attorney may be executed in one or more counterparts.
| /s/ Cynthia A. Archer |   |     |                    |
|-----------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Cynthia A. Archer     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ R. Carl Benna |   |     |                    |
|-------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| R. Carl Benna     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Richard O. Berndt |   |     |                    |
|-----------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Richard O.  Berndt    |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Howard B. Bowen |   |     |                    |
|---------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Howard B. Bowen     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ William R. Brody |   |     |                    |
|----------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| William R. Brody     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Freeman A. Hrabowski III |   |     |                    |
|------------------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Freeman A.  Hrabowski III    |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Alexander T. Mason |   |     |                    |
|------------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Alexander T.  Mason    |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 

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| /s/ Jenny G. Morgan |   |     |                    |
|---------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Jenny G. Morgan     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Christian H. Poindexter |   |     |                    |
|-----------------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Christian H.  Poindexter    |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Clayton S. Rose |   |     |                    |
|---------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Clayton S. Rose     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ James L. Shea |   |     |                    |
|-------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| James L. Shea     |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Donald J. Shepard |   |     |                    |
|-----------------------|--------|----------|-------------------------|
| Donald J.  Shepard    |   | Director | February 28,  2007 |

 
| /s/ Jay M. Wilson |   |     |                   |
|-------------------|--------|----------|------------------------|
| Jay M. Wilson     |   | Director | February 28, 2007 |

 

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