1720 Silver Medal Betts-128, Riches to Ruin

Coin Details

Auction Record

$21,600 MS62 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This 1720 silver medal (Betts-128) titled "Riches to Ruin" is another satirical piece documenting the Mississippi Bubble collapse. The title encapsulates the arc of the disaster — from the euphoric promises of boundless wealth from Louisiana to the financial ruin of thousands of investors when John Law's scheme collapsed in 1720. The Betts catalog includes nearly thirty medals related to the Mississippi Bubble (Betts-110 through Betts-141), making it one of the most extensively documented financial events in medallic history. Dutch and German engravers produced most of these satirical pieces, as the Netherlands and German states were among the foreign markets most damaged by the scheme. The "Riches to Ruin" theme proved prophetic — the collapse so traumatized France that paper money was effectively abandoned for nearly a century.

Rarity Notes

Original 1720 silver. Mississippi Bubble satirical medal. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-128; Riches to Ruin; Mississippi Bubble 1720; John Law