4716) Did You Know Series (151): i) What are Doubloons: ii) The Brasher Doubloon: iii) Fictional Doubloons in "Pirates of the Caribbean Movies": iv) The Curse of the Double Doubloons - Bluebeard Baboon who rises from his watery grave once every 100 Years:
i) What are Doubloons?
Dubloons are gold coins,
most famously the Spanish gold coins that were used from the 16th to the 19th
century.
The name
"doubloon" comes from the Spanish word doblón, meaning
"double."
They were minted primarily
in Spain and its American colonies, including Mexico, Peru, and New Spain.
Dubloons became widely used
in international trade because the Spanish Empire controlled vast gold and
silver resources.
A typical Spanish doubloon
was worth two escudos originally, though larger denominations such as 4-, 8-,
and 16-escudo gold coins were also called doubloons.
They are strongly associated
with pirates, treasure chests, and shipwrecks, which is why they often appear
in adventure stories and films.
A famous example is the 8
Escudos gold coin, often referred to as a Spanish doubloon.
Today, original doubloons
are highly sought after by coin collectors (numismatists) and can be worth
hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars depending on rarity,
condition, and historical significance.
The famous 1715 Spanish Treasure
Fleet doubloons or the Brasher Doubloon, an early American gold coin of great
rarity.
Some examples of
historic Spanish doubloons:
Early Spanish Doubloon (2 Escudos) - Gold Coin
Spanish Escudo, double excellentes, Irregular, hand-struck gold coin, often bearing a royal coat of arms....
1798 Gold Doubloon (8 Escudos): Sunken Treasure: The Fight
Over the Spanish Galleon San Jose Features the portrait of the Spanish king on one side and the royal arms on the other.
Gold 8-Doubloon Coin: Large, high-value gold coin used in international trade. Spanish gold 8-doubloon
coin, or piece of eight, showing the head of CAROLIII - 1788.
The Doubloons of
Seville Mint Doubloon: Known for its cross-and-shield designs, highly prized by collectors.
The classic “pirate
treasure” coin seen in movies is usually based on the Spanish gold doubloon,
especially the 8 escudos pieces recovered from shipwrecks and treasure fleets.
2) The Brasher Doubloon (1787):
Brasher Doubloon (1787) particularly fascinating. It is an
early American gold coin and one of the most valuable coins ever sold at
auction.
What makes it special?
It was privately struck in
1787 by Ephraim Brasher, a New York goldsmith and neighbour of George
Washington.
It is considered one of the
earliest gold coins associated with the United States.
Brasher stamped his
hallmark, "EB", on the coin.
Only a handful of genuine
examples are known today.
A Brasher Doubloon has sold
for millions of dollars at auction, making it one of the world's most
celebrated rare coins.
A genuine Brasher Doubloon
is so rare that most collectors never see one in person, even after decades in
the hobby. It is often called The Brasher Doubloon (1787) has a
distinctive design that reflects the early American era:
Obverse (front)
A rising sun over a
mountain.
The surrounding inscription
reads“NOVA EBORACA COLUMBIA EXCELSIOR” (Latin for “New York, America, Ever
Higher”).
The sun's rays extend
outward across the field.
Reverse (back)
An American eagle with
outstretched wings.
A shield on the eagle's
chest.
The inscription“UNUM E PLURIBUS” appears around the design, an early form of the motto later
standardized as “E Pluribus Unum.”
Brasher's famous “EB”
hallmark was stamped either on the eagle's breast or on the wing, depending on
the variety.
Here is a visual comparison of the style of gold doubloons from that period:
A simplified sketch of the
Brasher Doubloon design:
☀ ☀ ☀
\
| /
\ | /
Mountain
----------------
NOVA EBORACA
COLUMBIA EXCELSIOR
Reverse:
Eagle
/
| \
/ Shield\
|
EB |
\_____/
UNUM E PLURIBUS
The“EB on Wing” Brasher
Doubloon is particularly famous and among the most valuable U.S. coins ever
sold.
For comparison:
Coin Country Metal Era
Spanish Doubloon Spain Gold 1500s to 1800s
Brasher Doubloon Early United States Gold 1787
Mohur India Gold Mughal & Princely States
Fun fact: The Indian Gold Mohur and the Spanish Doubloon were among
the most prestigious gold trade coins of their respective worlds. Collectors
often compare them because both symbolise wealth, exploration, and historical
power.
A genuine Brasher Doubloon
is so rare that most collectors never see one in person, even after decades in
the hobby. It is often called the "King of American Gold Coins."
3) The Doubloon coins from Pirates of
the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, they are the legendary Aztec gold
coins from the Treasure of Cortés. According to the story, there were 882 gold
coins in a stone chest. Anyone who took even one coin became cursed. The curse
could only be lifted by returning every coin and repaying a blood debt.
Some images of
replica/movie-prop cursed Doubloons/coins from the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean":
Gold Doubloon from Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Cursed Aztec GoldIn the movie's legend:
The Aztecs gave the treasure
to Hernán Cortés as "blood money."
The gods cursed the gold
because of greed and betrayal.
Cursed people could not
truly enjoy food, drink, or life and appeared as living skeletons in moonlight.
(This is part of the film's story.)
These are fictional cursed
coins, not real historical doubloons. Real Spanish doubloons were ordinary gold
coins used in trade and had no known curse.
Another humorous take on the Gold Double Doubloons:
The "Curse of the Double
Doubloon" is a curse that appears in the Donkey Kong Country television series,
where it is the primary focus of the episode "The Curse of Kongo
Bongo".
Description:
The curse is the work of the
pirate Bluebeard Baboon, who rises from the depths of the ocean every hundred
years to deliver cursed letters to every ape on Kongo Bongo Island.
The letter is a description
of the curse itself, which, if read twice, will drain the Crystal Coconut of
its power and cause Kongo Bongo Island to sink into the ocean's depths just as
Bluebeard himself did one thousand years prior.
When Donkey Kong read his
letter and unwittingly activated the curse, he and Diddy immediately rushed to
retrieve the letters given to Candy, Funky, Bluster, and Dixie before they
could read them, but Cranky's letter was stolen by Polly Roger alongside his
spell book and delivered to King K. Rool, who read it and completed the curse
in a poorly thought out attempt to force the Kongs to hand the Crystal Coconut
over.
In the resulting scuffle,
however, DK and Diddy were able to retrieve Cranky's spell book and find the
counter-curse, saving Kongo Bongo and everyone on it.
Effects:
The curse will be activated
by anyone who reads the following words twice:
The double curse of
Bluebeard Baboon lies in these words you see.
Read them once, then read
them twice, and your island is history.
Once activated, the curse
will depower the Crystal Coconut and sink Kongo Bongo Island to the bottom of
the ocean. It can only be canceled by a counter-curse found in one of Cranky's
spell-books:
The curse of the Double
Doubloon can easily be reversed.
Read these words, and you
will see your island is no longer cursed.
Links:
Did You Know Series (151): i) What are Doubloons: ii) The Brasher Doubloon: iii) Fictional Doubloons in "Pirates of the CFaribbean Movies"{: iv) The Curse of the Double Doubloon- Bluebeard Baboon who rises from his watery grave one every 100 Years
Crypto Stamps with NFT:
:1) Croatian Crypto Stamp - 2, Croatia: A 50 HRK stamp (a combination of the analog and the digital) issued by "Hrvatska Posta" (Croatian Post) in coordination with the Croatian Blockchain community gathered around the Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Association: Date of Stamp issue: 16.12.2020
2) Did You Know Series (49): Dogecoin (DOGE), Blockchain Mint, Singapore: Blockchain Mint has issued Silver DOGE Medals in three variants - i) Silver Dogecoin Cryptocurrency Medal Gem BU, ii) Silver Dogecoin Cryptocurrency Medal Proof-Like in Blister Pak, iii) Dogecoin Cryptocurrency Commemorative Medal Antiqued in Blister Pak: Date of Medal release/shipping: 05/2021
3) Did You Know Series (50): A Guest Post by Avery Wright: "Is Making the Crypto Space Legally Complaint Paving the Road to Mass (Blockchain) Adoption?" - A perspective:
4) Gibraltar Cryptocurrency Stamp: Stamp value 4 Pounds: Date of Stamp issue: 15.05.2021: (Pre-orderd accepted from 19.04.2021):
5) Bit-Coin Backed Banknotes are being envisaged by "Noteworthy" which are aimed at generating user confidence in the Cryptocurrency
6) "Blockchain Technology", Principality of Liechtenstein: A Crypto Stamp of CHF 5.20 titled "Perspective" issued by Liechtensteinische Post: Date of Stamp issue: 06.09.2021
7) "Bitcoin Logo", Niue Island: A $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) Coin features this iconic Logo of the well known Cryptocurrency: Year of Coin issue: 2022
8) Crypto-stamp - Rimec Nevera, Croatia: Hrvatska posta (Croatian Post) has issued a Crypto-stamp Souvenir Sheet (a combination of the analog and the digital) of One Stamp of HRK50.00 on a PVC background: Date of Crypto-stamp issue: 09.09.2021
9) "UN Crypto Stamps", United Nations: "New Technologies for the United Nations Stamp Series": United Nations Postal Administration brought out its first time ever UN Crypto Stamps, which run on Etherium Blockchain: Date of Stamps issue: 24.11.2020
10) "Equality", Liechtenstein: A "BlockChain Stamp Series: A Stamp 4.1 "Equality issued by Liechtensteinische Post (Philately Liechtenstein) with a face value of CHF 9.00): Date of Stamp issue: 09.09.2022
11) Croatian Crypto Stamp, Croatia: A 50 HRK Stamp (a combination of the analog and the digital) issued by "Hrvatska Posta (Croatian Post) in coordination with the Croatian Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Association: Date of Crypto Stamp issue: 09.09.2020
12) Crypto Stamp 4.0 - Grab the Bull by the Horns - set, Austria: Osterreichische Post AG (Austrian Post) has released a Joint-issue between two countries - Austria and Netherlands, featuring the new technology "Augmented Reality", with a new motif of the Bull: Date of Crypto Stamp issue: 28.10.2022
13) "UN Crypto Stamps", United Nations: "New Technologies for the United Nations Stamp Series": Series II of United Nations Crypto Stamps issued by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) which run on Blockchain Technolgy: Date of Stamps issue:18.11.2022
14) 2022 NL Crypto Stamp - Duo Set Crypto The Netherlands (NL) + Oostenrijk (Austria) - Collectibles: Date of Joint Crypto Stamp issue: 22.09.2022
15) Nikola Tesla's inventions as motifs feature on Croatia's Fourth Crypto Stamp of 50 HRK issued by Hrvatska Posta (Croatian Post): Date of Crypto Stamp issue: 20.12.2022
16) "The Four Seasons" Crypto Stamps, Faroe Islands: The Faroe Islands Post (Posta Faroe Islands) has issued a set of four Crypto Stamps of 100 DKK (Danish Kroners) each featuring the "Four Seasons": Date of Stamp set issue: 23.06.2023
17) Professor Balthazar motifs feature on Croatia's Fifth Crypto Stamp of 7.80 Euro issued by Hrvatska Posta (Croatian Post): Date of Crypto Stamp issue: 07.09.2023
18) "Business Fox" or "Crypto Fox" with NFT. LiechtensteiLiechtsteinsche Post AG (Liechtenstein POst) has issued this Crypto Stamp in its continuimg series of Crypto Stamp issues: Date/Year of Crypto STamp issue: 02.09.2024
19) The World's first Multi-lateral Crypto Stamp, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands (Austria & BENELUX): Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 21.10.2024
20) "Gibraltar Crypto Miniature Sheet Series" - A 5 Pounds Crypto Stamp celebrates the spirit of European Football issued by Gibraltar Post: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issued: 04.07.2024
21) Crypto Stamp Island, Austria: Austrian Post has introduced a unique project - The world's first Crypto Stamp comic featuring their popular heroes: Date of Crypto Stamp issue: 21.10.2024
22) Empress Sisi and Emperor Franz Josef immortalised in physical form and on the blockchain, Austria: Oserreichische Post AG (Austrian Post) has issued this Crypto Stamp Art: Date/Year of Stamp issue: 12.12.2024
23) Swiss Crypto Stamp 5.0, Switzerland: Three main versions - Basic Edition, Silver Edition and Bronze Esition: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 09.12.2024
24) "The Creator - Techno Totem" : 1000 Satoshi, 2 oz Pure Silver Antique Finish Coin - Minted By: Mint XXI, Poland - United Crypto States (UCS): Date/Year of Coin issue: 2025
25) The Wings of Freedom 1000 Satoshi 1 oz Pure Silver Proof Gilded Coin - Minted By: Mint xxx, Poland - United Crypto States: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2025
26) A 25 Euro Silver Niobium Coin Set including Digitalised Crypto stamp: Date/Year of Digitised Crypto Stamp set issue: 12.03.2025
27) 0,001 Ether Ethereum (ETH) - United Crypto States: 1 oz Ag 999: Date of ETH issue: 10.10.2025
28) Athena, Goddess of Strategy, inspires bpost's new Crypto Stamp, Belgium: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 18.09.2025
29) Posiedon, Portugal: Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp series:m Correios de Portugal S.A. (CTT Portugal) has issued a Crypto stamp: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 18.09.2025
30) Zeus & Hera, Republic of Austria: Heroes of Mythology Stamp Series: Austrian Post has issued a Crypto Stamp: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 19.09.2025
31) Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt, Luxembourg: Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp Series: Post Luxembourg has issued a Crypto Stamp: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 18.09.2025
32) Hermes, Messenger of the Gods and God of Commerce, Netherlands: Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp Series: PostNL (Netherlands Post) has issued a Crypto Stamp: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 18.09.2025
33) Royal Golden Guernsey Goat kids, Guernsey (A British Crown Dependency (BCD): Guernsey Post has ussued a set of Cyber stamps titled "Royal Guernsey Goat Kids" featuring "Billy the Kid" and "Nanny the Kid": Date/Year of Cyberstamp issue: 16.07.2026"
34) "Perseus" (Son of Zeus) and :Eos" (The Goddess of Dawan): Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp Series: Austrian Mint (Osterreich Munz) has issued a set of two Crypto stamps: Date/Year of Crypto stamp issue: 24.09.2026:
35) "Demeter (The goddess of agriculture, fertility and nature: "Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp Series": PostNL (Netherlands Post) has issued a Crypto stamp: Date/Year of Crypto Stamp issue: 24.09.2026
36) "Heracles (or Hercules)", Divine Hero in Greek Mythology, the son of Zeus and Lacmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon: Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp Series: Bpost (Belgian Post) has issued a Crypto Stamp: Date/Year of Crypto stamp issue: 24.09.2026
37) "Hades", (The Ruler of the Greek Underworld): "Heroes of Mythology Crypto Stamp Series": CTT (Portuguese Post) has issued a Crypto Stamp featuring him: Date/Year of Crypto stamp issue: 24.09.2026
Links:
4716) Did You Know Series (151): i) What are Doubloons: ii) The Brasher Doubloon: iii) Fictional Doubloons in "Pirates of the Caribbean Movies": iv) The Curse of the Double Doubloon - Bluebeard Baboon who rises from his watery grave one every 100 Years
Links:
The "Real de a Ocho - Roots of Canadian Currency":
4618) Did You Know Series (146): "The Real de a Ocho - Roots of Canadian Currency", Canada: Part 1 - The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) has issued a $20 (Twenty Dollars - CAN) Silver Proof Coin which highlights the Evolution of Canadian Currency from the influence of the Spanish Real de a Ocho: A Joint issue brought out by the RCM and Spain's FNMT - Real Casa de la Moneda: Date/Year of Joint issue: 29.06.2026
4619) Did You Know series (146) "The Real de a Ocho - Roots of Canadian Currency", Spain: Part II - The Fabrica Nacoinal de Moneda y Timbre - Real Casa de la Moneda (FNMT) has issued a 10 Euro .999 Silver Proof Coin which traces the Origins of First Global Currency: A Joint issue brought out by the RCM and Spain's FNMT - Real Casa de la Moneda: Date/Year of Joint issue: 29.06.2026
Links:
Links to SS Central America (The Ship Of Gold) posts on this blog:
i) "SS Central America" (The "Ship of Gold"), USA (Part I): "California Gold Rush" Gold Nuggets recovered from the historic wreck which sank on 12.09.1857
ii) The Ship of Gold (SS Central America), USA - Part II: A historic 54-pound Gold Rush ingot which sank to the bottom of the Sea in the shipwreck SS Central America in 1857 was recovered 131 years later
"Australian Shipwrecks" Coin Series:
Links to interesting Posts on coins from Tuvalu Islands:
The Treasure ship: San Jose:
The Treasure ship : Princess Louisa:
The Clipper - Cutty Sark:
Did You Know Series : The SS Tilawa:
Nuestra Senora de Atocha shipwreck & Salvage of the enormous Treasure:
The Atlantic Sands - Shipwreck:
The 1715 Treasure Fleet - or "The Nueva Espana Fleet:
For interesting posts on Coins and stamps of Portugal and Spain, please visit the following links:
Discoverers of Oceania Annual Stamp Series:
52) XX International Botanical Congress in Madrid 2024, Spain: Kyrgyz Express Post (KEP), Limited Liability Company (LLC): Date/Year of Stamp set issue: 10th March 2025
Trio Eclipse stamp Series:
For interesting posts on Coins and stamps of Portugal, please visit the following links:
The "Age of Discovery" Escudo Banknote Series:
My Stamp Album - The Adventures of Tori & Co.:
Spain and Spanish Culture through its Animals Gold Coin Series:
Some interesting links to Spanish & Portuguese exploration:
Discoverers of Oceania Annual Stamp Series:
Portugal:
The "Age of Discovery" Escudo Banknote Series:
For posts on coins issued under the Eurostar Coin Programme, please visit the following links:
Posts on Indian Railways:
1) Celebrating 150 Years of serving the Indian Nation by the Railways in 2002-03
Posts on United Kingdom Railways:
1) Commemorating 150 Years of the London Underground : Two pound Coins minted by the Royal Mint UK, showing the "Roundel" logo and a train emerging from a tunnel
Japanese Railways:
1) 150th Anniversary of Railways in Japan (1872-2022): The Japan Mint has issued a 1,000 Yen Silver Coin to commemorate the milestone: Date/Year of Coin issue: 04.10.2022
Steam Power - Australian Rail Heritage Coin Series:
Posts on Romanian Locomotives/Trains:
6) Steam Locomotives", Romania: Romfilatelia (Romanian Post) has issued a set of fout postage stamps featuriung steam locomotives: Date/Year of Stamp Set issus: 24.09.2025
Posts on Czechoslovakia Trains:
11) Skoda 498 "Albatros" Steam Locomotive, Czechoslovakia: A Gold Medal issued by the Czech Mint commemorating the iconic "workhorse" of the 1940s upto 1970s: Date/Year of Medal issue: 2021
Posts on Trains Stamps from Spain:
1) The New Silk Road: A Joint issue of a two Stamp Set of 1.50 Euros each by Spain (Correos Post) and China: Stamps issue date: 01.07.2019
2) Historic Trains - Euskotren Steam Train, Spain: A postage stamp issued by Correios (Spanish Post): Date/Year of Stamp issue: 27.09.2025
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Santosh Khanna has commented: ·
ReplyDelete"Thanks for sharing this informative post."
Thank you so much Khanna sahab.
DeleteRajan Trikhahas commented: ·
ReplyDelete"Wonderful and informative post👍"
Thank you so much, Trikha sahab.
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