(1721) White Metal Medal Betts-141

Coin Details

Auction Record

$20,400 MS61 08-24-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

Betts-141 in white metal is another Mississippi Bubble satirical medal from 1721, produced in a tin-lead alloy that was the cheapest medallic material available. White metal medals were produced for the widest possible distribution, intended to spread satirical commentary about John Law's failed financial scheme to ordinary people who could not afford silver or bronze. The year 1721 places this medal in the immediate aftermath of the Bubble's collapse, when public anger and mockery of Law and his supporters was at its peak. White metal Mississippi Bubble medals are among the most accessible pieces in this celebrated satirical series, though their soft composition means that surviving examples in good condition are genuinely scarce. The medal features caricature imagery or allegorical scenes lampooning speculation, greed, or the ruin of investors who trusted in Law's promises of colonial riches.

Rarity Notes

White metal (tin-lead alloy), fragile composition. Few high-grade survivors despite originally wide distribution. Scarce.

Cross References

Betts-141; PCGS #922013