The “Semper Augustus” is undoubtedly the most renowned tulip from the tulip mania era. This extraordinary tulip was praised as the most beautiful of them all, yet it was extremely rare.
The story of the “Semper Augustus” is a fascinating chapter in history. This tulip was so coveted that insanely high prices were offered for it.
At the peak of the Dutch Tulipmania, a single bulb of this tulip was priced at fl.6,000 guilders, which in today’s currency would be approximately €83,000. Converting historical currency to contemporary values is a complex process, but for this amount, you could have bought a large canal house in Amsterdam at the time. The price of the flower was, gram for gram, higher than that of gold.
What made the “Semper Augustus” so special was its unique appearance. This tulip had fiery red petals with white stripes, a pattern known as ‘flames’.
The name ‘Semper Augustus’ means ‘Always Exalted’. However, due to the rarity of the tulip and the uncontrollable virus that caused the special colors, the Semper Augustus was also incredibly vulnerable. This meant that the bulbs were difficult to cultivate and often did not survive.
The “Semper Augustus” is still remembered as one of the most iconic tulips of the Tulipmania era. The 99 NFT versions of the “Semper Augustus”, in different art styles, reflect the theme ‘exalted’. The “Semper Augustus” of the Ninetynine Tulips collection is the inspiration for the NFT tulips.
Ninetynine Tulips 