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BBdoubloon

Blackbeard offered a gold doubloon to the man who spots and captures a mermaid during the battle at Whitecap Bay.

"Captain Jack Sparrow? Owes me four doubloons. Heard he was dead."
Sunburned sailor to Will Turner[src]

The Spanish Doubloon was a seven-gram (.225 Troy-ounce) gold coin minted in Spain, Mexico and the Spanish settlement of Nueva Grenada that was used widely in the Americas during the Age of Piracy.

History[]

"Here. Give this Doubloon to the chaps near the Mermaid."
Edward Teague to Jack Sparrow[src]

The word "doubloon" has its roots in the Latin word "duplus", meaning double, a reference to denomination of this coin worth two escudos. These gold coins were eventually minted in four denominations, worth one, two, four, and eight escudos respectively.[citation needed]

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, gold doubloons played a pivotal role in the Spanish economy and were a major part of its colonial activities. Doubloons minted in the Americas were carried on Spanish galleons throughout the Caribbean and across the world to trade for highly sought after commodities such as silks and spices. As they made their way across the vast seas and oceans, the captains of these ships were always wary of attack from marauding pirates. The pirates knew full well that if they could manage to intercept a Spanish galleon en route to its trading destination, their chances of finding gold aboard were extremely high.[citation needed]

After young Jack Sparrow and the crew of the Barnacle searched every room in the palace at Isla Esquelética, including the dungeon and the treasure vaults, they found nothing more than a few doubloons.[1] When he served aboard the Fleur de la Mort, Jean Magliore used a few doubloons to buy several skeleton keys in New Orleans.[2] Jack Sparrow and his friend Christophe-Julien de Rapièr once played hazard in the Drunken Lady tavern in Shipwreck City. When Marie Seymour brought them more rum Christope paid with a gold doubloon.[3] In their quest to return the Aztec gold and blood to lift their curse, Captain Hector Barbossa the crew of the Black Pearl heap up all their plunder in the caves of Isla de Muerta,[4] including about one million doubloons in three different colors.[5] Captain Jack Sparrow, among other debts, owed one sunburned sailor four doubloons.[6][7] He also owed seventy doubloons and one shilling to a pirate in Tortuga, which led to a double duel—Jack and Will Turner against four cutthroats.[8] At some point, Governor Weatherby Swann issued a proclamation against the crimes and foul deeds of the bloodthirsty pirate Jolly Roger, with one thousand pounds of gold doubloons as a reward for his capture and presentation of his treacherous being to the English Royal Navy as well as one hundred pounds for every undead pirate or captain of a Ghost Ship.[9] During the battle at Whitecap Bay, Blackbeard offered a gold doubloon to the first member of his crew who spots and captures a mermaid.[10]

Behind the scenes[]

"A gold doubloon to the man who spots the first! Do not be greedy! We need but a single one!"
Blackbeard to his crew[src]
Jolly Roger concept art

Pirates Online had one wallpaper featuring Jolly Roger and Spanish doubloons.

Appearances[]

Sources[]

External links[]

Notes and references[]

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