What was the name of the speculative company at the center of Britain's South Sea Bubble?

The South Sea Company was the speculative company at the center of Britain's South Sea Bubble.

Founded in 1711, the company received a monopoly over British trade with Spanish South America in exchange for taking over part of the government's debt. In practice, the expected trading opportunities were far more limited than many investors imagined.

Its shares nevertheless soared in 1720 as promoters, political connections, and easy credit encouraged speculation. The company became a fashionable investment, and other ventures copied its promotional methods. When confidence broke, the share price collapsed, ruining many investors and provoking a political scandal.

The South Sea Bubble is often grouped with France's Mississippi Bubble, which also burst in 1720. They were separate schemes, although both reflected the period's fascination with paper wealth, monopoly promises, and rapidly rising share prices.