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Pirate Treasure

 

For more information about Pirates, see our Pirates Page

 

Treasure

There are many different kinds of treasure that you can quest after.  But the most common treasure is gold, gems and other precious high value artifacts.  Magical items, holy relics and spiritual quests are more of an advanced treasure of sorts for most.

 

Replica doubloons and other other coins can be found on the web at Overpriced sites and Cut Rate Sites (with low ratings).

 

You can also use pennies, game tokens, washers, real world coins and chocolate coins.  Arrr.

 

Treasure Links:

Metal Coins

 

Plastic Coins

 

Other

 

 

Coins

Note that a good deal of silver and gold were mined in the Americas and shipped back to Spain in the form of temporary coinage known as macuquina in Spanish and as "cobs" (short for cabo de barra - or "end of bar" as coins were cut from a bar of silver or gold) in English.  These coins were much cruder in appearance than their European counterparts, as they were cut by hand from bars, stamped and then trimmed to size.  These are what pirates may have acquired from raids on Spanish Galleons and used as local currency in the new world.

 

Spanish Silver

 

 

4 Reales

Spanish Real (plural: reales) (silver/alloy, 1497 to 1864): This coin changed value a number of times throughout its existence. From 1642 to 1737 (which encompasses the Golden Age), there were two reales; on of silver (real de plata) and a less valuable version (real de vellón) made from billon (silver alloyed with other metals).  The exchange rate between these two coins was set at 2 reales de vellón = 1 real de plata.   The gold escudo was worth 16 reales de plata.  The real de vellón was issued for exclusive use in Spain and did not frequently circulate in the colonies.  Reales came in 1/2, 1, 2, 4 and 8 Reales coins.  This was similar to American silver half dimes, dimes, quarter, half dollars and dollars.

Wiki  Spanish_colonial_real

 

Pieces of 8Pieces of 8

Pieces-of-eight (silver, 1497 to 1857): This was the Spanish dollar of its day. It was worth 8 Reales (pronounced ray-ahls) and was frequently cut into pieces  (halves, quarters and eighths) to make change, hence the name pieces-of-eight.  The cross on the back of the coin makes dividing a bit easier.

Wiki  Spanish_dollar

 

 

Spanish Gold

 

 

Escudo

Escudo (gold, 1566-1833): This coin was worth 16 silver reales during the golden age.  Value can seem confusing to some as they were minted in several quantities from 1/2 to 8 escudos.  The 2 escudo coin was commonly known as the doubloon.

Wiki  Spanish_escudo

 

2 Escudos  2 Escudos

Pistole (gold, 1566-?): A 2 Escudos gold coin worth 32-reales and was the gold standard of its day.  This is often referred to a doblón escudo or doubloon, meaning "double".  Pistole is actually a French name given to the Spanish 2 escudo (double escudos),  Louis d'Or and other similarly sized gold coins of other countries.

Wiki  Doubloon

Wiki  Pistole

 

4 Escudos

Half Onza is 4 Escudos and is sometimes referred to as a doubloon, in this case a double pistole.

 

Onza (gold, 1566-????): A gold coin worth 8 escudos.  This was the largest of Spanish Colonial gold coins.  It is referred sometimes as a double doubloon and later as just a doubloon in several texts.

 

 

Coin Comparisons

 

Note that size, weight and fineness of coins vary significantly.

Coin Diameter Weight Real 8Real US Also Known As
1/4 Real 11.5mm .024 troy 1/4   0.03 cautorillo -  not minted 1540-1794
1/2 Real 14.5 mm 0.044 troy 1/2   0.06 Half Bit (medio)
1 Real 19 mm 0.1209 to 0.125 1 1/8 0.12 Bit
2 Reales 26 mm 0.176 troy 2 1/4 0.25 2 Bits (peseta)
4 Reales 32 mm 0.390 troy 4 1/2 0.50 4 Bits (medio peso)
8 Reales 38 mm 0.883125 troy 8 1 1 Pieces of Eight (peso)
             
1/2 Escudo 13 mm 0.0475 troy 8 1 1 Escudito
1 Escudo 19 mm 0.0951 oz 16 2 2  
2 Escudos 23 mm 0.1905 oz 32 4 4 Pistole; Doblón; Doubloon
4 Escudos 27 mm 0.3809 oz 64 8 8 Media Onza (sometimes Doubloon)
8 Escudos 36 mm 0.7616 oz 128 16 16 Onza (unfortunately Doubloon also)
             
For Comparison Purposes Only (US didn't exist yet)
Cent 19.05 mm       0.01  
Nickel 21.21 mm   1/2   0.05  
Half Dime 16.5 mm 0.0388 oz 1/2   0.05 1792-1870
Dime 17.91 mm 0.07234 troy 1 1/8 0.10  
Quarter 24.26 mm 0.18084 troy 2 1/4 0.25  
Half Dollar 30.61 mm 0.36169 troy 4 1/2 0.50  
Old Dollar 39.0 - 40.00 mm 0.7737 troy 8 1 1 1794-1804
Old Dollar 38.1 mm 0.7737 troy 8 1 1 1840 to 1935 (size wise)
New Dollar 26.49 mm         1979 to present

 

 

"Doubloons"

The term Doubloon is loosely used in many books, plays and movies for the Spanish treasure gold coins captured by pirates and hidden on remote islands.  But the actual Spanish gold coins of the Golden Age of Pirates headed to the Old World came in more than one denomination.  These coins came in 1/2, 1, 2, 4 and 8 Escudos.  This would be 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 US dollar equivalents back when gold and silver were the standard.  

 

So which one of these coins was actually doubloon?   It's actually a bit debatable.  The word "Doblón" means "double" in Spanish, so a doblón escudo means 2 Escudo.  This 2 Escudo was the gold standard of its day and referred to as a pistole (French Gold Standard) or doubloon.  In turn, a 4 Escudos coin was often referred to as a doblón pistole (double pistole), double doubloon or just doubloon.  The large 8 Escudos Onza coin was referred to as a quadruple doubloon.  But, it was also called the double doubloon early on in Mexico and later as a doubloon.  Several texts refer to the 8 Escudos Onza as a "doubloon.  And in more modern days, the pirate myth has evolved far away from historical reality and has created its own world and lexicon.  So in essence, the term "doubloon" has been used to name just about any denomination of gold coin used by the Spanish.

 

According to the translated works of The present state of Europe:: exhibiting a view of the natural and ..., Volume 1 By Eobald Toze1770

 

According to The shipmaster's assistant, and commercial digest: containing information useful to Merchants, Owners, and Masters of Ships ... By Joseph Blunt 1837

 

According to On the stowage of ships and their cargoes By Robert White Stevens 1863

 

According to The merchants' handbook By William Alfred Browne 1872

 

According to the Director of the Mint upon the production of the precious metals in the united states during the calendar year 1890:

 

According to Krause, Chester L. and Clifford Mishler (1991). Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1801–1991 (18th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0873411501.

 

From these documents, it appears that a Spanish Doubloon de Plata = 1 Pistoles = 32Reales = 2 Escudos.  Several Central American countries of the pirate age also had similar coinage called Doubloons.  Wiki also references a doubloon as a 2 Escudos gold coin, but let's face it...Wiki is directly and indirectly authored by yahoos such as myself.  Unfortunately, there are several references of old stating something to the effect of a Doubloon = 1 Onza = 8 Escudos = 3£ 4s 1d = $15.53 in Spain or some Latin Countries.

 

So basically, the early usage of "doubloon" seems to use to describe the 2 escudo gold standard of its day.  This term may have evolved or been misused enough to later mean any type of Spanish gold coin.

 

 

Treasure Chests

These can add a lot of fun to play, themed decorations or for a pirate party.  Quality can vary considerably, depending on what you are willing to spend or able to make in your garage.

 

thomasathomas.com  make_a_chest.htm

woodchests.com

piratefashions.com  chest.html

 

 

 

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