That phrase, “the best bargain for the nation,” showed that Brodrick had penetrated to the nub of what made this plan different from the 1719 trial run. Then, the South Sea directors had agreed to a straight-up swap in which the only elements to the deal were the firm’s stock and lottery tickets on which the Treasury was obligated to pay interest. This time, Aislabie and Craggs aimed for something more: cash on the nail, a fee the Company would pay for the right to do the deal.
