Appendix 2
The SeventeenthCentury Tulip Price Data
Table A2.1 contains price data for various tulips. For each type of bulb, the observations are ordered by date; they include the price paid, the weight in aas of the bulb, the price per aas, and the data source. I have gathered the data from different sources of uneven reliability. Some sources are marked with numbers to indicate the numbering of notarized contracts reported by Posthumus in Economisch-Historisch Jaarboek (1927, 1934). Because these were carefully drawn contracts sworn before notaries, they are the most reliable data, representing serious transactions that did not occur in the colleges. Furthermore, many are dated before the peak of the speculation in January–February 1637. Presumably, the contracts drawn from June to September were for spot delivery. The delivery dates for the winter contracts are unclear. A few contract prices reported in Krelage (1946) are labeled as “Krelage–46-p482.” Next in order of reliability are the bulbs labeled “Children,” which I have taken from Economisch-Historisch
