Doubloon

pirates · gold coins · Spanish history

Worth a fortune. A doubloon was a Spanish gold coin that weighed about 6.766 grams and was made from 22-karat gold, the really pure kind. It was worth approximately four Spanish dollars or 32 reales, making it a very valuable coin in its time.

Shiny Spanish money. Spain minted these coins not just at home but also in its colonies across the Americas, including New Spain, Peru, and New Granada. This helped Spanish settlers and traders in the New World have a standard coin to use for buying and selling.

Replaced older coins. The doubloon took the place of an even heavier gold coin called the double-ducat or double excelente. As Spain switched to using the escudo as its main gold coin, the doubloon became the new two-escudo version that people trusted and valued.

Pirate treasure. Doubloons became legendary in pirate stories because they represented real Spanish wealth being transported across the ocean. Although many pirate tales are exaggerated, these coins really were among the most valuable treasures that could be found during the Age of Exploration.