LIMITED
POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of John L. Unger and Dennis W. Kreiner, signing singly, the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

    (1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
          capacity as an officer and/or director of Mercantile Bankshares
          Corporation (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with
          Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules
          thereunder;

    (2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
          which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such
          Form 3, 4, or 5 and timely file such form with the United States
          Securities and Exchange Commission and any stock exchange or similar
          authority; and

    (3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
          foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of
          benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the
          undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such
          attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Limited
          Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms
          and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
          attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact shall lawfully do
or cause to be done by virtue of this Limited Power of Attorney and the rights
and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing
attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.

This Limited Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until
the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to
the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the
Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered
to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Limited Power of
Attorney to be executed as of this 11 day of August, 2003

      /s/ L. Burgess Pilch                        /s/ R. Carl Benna
    ---------------------------                -----------------------------
         Witness                               Signature

                                                 R. Carl Benna
                                                -----------------------------
                                                Name (Print)

BENNA R CARL 4