Chapter 03 of 5
The Semper Augustus Fever
Tales of canal houses traded for bulbs and the peak of price madness.
- Peak Rarity
The Semper Augustus
This legendary red-and-white flame tulip was the ultimate status symbol. Only a dozen or so bulbs existed in the entire world during the peak.
- Price Anchor
A Fortune in a Bulb
By early 1637, a single Semper Augustus was valued at 5,500 guilders. For context, the average skilled laborer earned about 250 guilders a year.
- Social Status
Petals as Power
Owning a rare tulip wasn't just about beauty; it signaled membership in the merchant elite. It was 17th-century 'stealth wealth' made visible.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
At the height of the fever, what was the approximate value of a single 'Semper Augustus' bulb compared to a laborer's wage?
🌷 The Tulipomania Myth: The First Financial Ghost
- 01Blooms of the BourgeoisieHow the Dutch Republic turned a Turkish flower into a status weapon.
- 02The Art of the Wind TradeStep into the taverns where paper promises replaced physical petals.
- 03The Semper Augustus FeverTales of canal houses traded for bulbs and the peak of price madness.
- 04February 1637: The Silent SnapThe sudden morning when the buyers vanished and the market froze.
- 05The Myth of the Ruined NationNew evidence: Was the crash just a moralizing tale for the masses?