During the Mardi Gras celebration and parade in New Orleans participants catch dabloons tossed from various floats and balconies. These mementos usually are shaped like the ones commonly used in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Doubloons are a historical coin of Spain that were made of either gold or silver. The silver pieces, which were smaller and less in worth, were called reales. The bigger, more valuable gold pieces were known as escudos. They were minted almost everywhere that the Spaniards found a gold or silver source, and were used as a primary currency of the country of Spain until the 19th century. Unlike the coins of today, doubloons did not contain ridges or grooves on the side and often weighed over six grams. Since coins were hand crafted, the shape was not always exactly round. The designs on the top of the coin were stamped into the metal while it was still hot
Simply mentioning a doubloon and Melville’s Moby Dick comes to mind. Ahab nailed a doubloon to the mast as a reward for the first sighting of the great white whale. This became a talismanic object when the strange figures and inscriptions drew attention. The mention of a doubloon also gives a sense of the mystery of the ocean, since this form of coin is associated with pirates and treasures lost at sea. This symbol carries an association with the darker side of humanity. In the 1940s, the film The Brasher Doubloon appeared and added mystery, murder and intrigue to having this coin.
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