1720 Copper Medal Betts-137, John Law - Tralalarala

Coin Details

Auction Record

$10,800 AU55BN 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1720 copper medal (Betts-137) is a satirical John Law piece titled "Tralalarala," referencing a popular song or catchphrase mocking the Mississippi Bubble speculators. The copper composition indicates this was produced for broad popular distribution rather than for elite collectors. Dutch satirists were particularly prolific in their mockery of the Mississippi scheme, producing dozens of medals, prints, and broadsides that lampooned the greed and folly of the bubble. The "Tralalarala" title indicates a lighthearted musical mockery — satirical songs about the bubble were enormously popular in Dutch taverns and coffeehouses. The Betts catalog's extensive coverage of Mississippi Bubble medals (nearly thirty entries) reflects their importance as documents of one of the most consequential events in American colonial financial history.

Rarity Notes

Original 1720 copper. Mississippi Bubble satirical medal. Popular distribution format. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-137; Tralalarala; John Law; Mississippi Bubble 1720; Dutch satire