1723 Bronze Medal Adams S-3, John Law Satirical

Coin Details

Auction Record

$112 AU58BN 11-02-2016 Stack's Bowers

Description

This bronze medal, cataloged as Adams S-3, is a satirical piece from 1723 depicting John Law, the Scottish economist and financier whose Mississippi Bubble became one of the most spectacular financial catastrophes in early modern history. Law established the Banque Generale in France and the Company of the West (later the Mississippi Company), which held a monopoly on trade with France's Louisiana colony. His scheme inflated stock prices to extraordinary levels before collapsing in 1720, ruining thousands of investors and nearly bankrupting France. Satirical medals mocking Law and his scheme were produced across Europe, and the Adams catalog documents those relevant to American numismatic interest through the Louisiana and Mississippi colonial connection. This 1723 medal, produced three years after the crash, reflects the enduring anger and dark humor generated by the financial disaster. The Mississippi Bubble influenced American attitudes toward paper money and central banking for generations, making this medal relevant to the economic history of colonial North America.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Adams S-3, 1723 satirical medal. John Law Mississippi Bubble medals are significant pieces of early financial history.

Cross References

PCGS #614191; Adams S-3; John Law; Mississippi Bubble; Satirical Medal; 1723; Bronze