![]() ![]() However, stories have been told since the 60s of riders making the expensive mistake of throwing real silver doubloons from the float-much to the delight of avid doubloon collectors.Įven though Carnival throws have gone “high-tech” with fiber optics, blinking LEDs, and other interesting twists, the doubloon is still considered one of the most iconic and collectible throws. ![]() Thankfully, these heavier projectiles aren’t permitted among the usual throws instead, Krewe members give these coins away as keepsakes for family and close friends. Many organizations carry doubloons to an even more valuable level, minting the coins in sterling silver. In addition to the basic aluminum doubloons thrown from floats, many krewes mint special doubloons in bronze-some of which are dual-colored or even tri-colored. The krewe’s celebrity king throws wine-colored doubloons with Bacchus on the front and his portrait on the rear, mounted officers of the krewe throw black “Riding Lieutenant” doubloons, and the krewe members on the floats throw purple, green, and gold doubloons. The Krewe of Bacchus, for example, has even stratified who can throw what color doubloon. Many krewes continue to throw the classic silver doubloons, but others make doubloons in multiple colors. These were more expensive, but nothing less would do for the King of Carnival and his krewe. ![]() Fenner included a small number of gold-anodized doubloons in that first 1960 order this choice eventually became the standardized blank for their doubloons. Most doubloons thrown are minted on aluminum blanks in their natural, silvery color, but through an electrochemical process called anodization, basic silver can become almost any color you can think of. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the doubloon became the most coveted throw in a parade. Other krewes soon followed suit, minting their own doubloons. The coins were to be un-dated if the throw turned out to be a flop, krewe members could throw the rest the following year.Īs you likely guessed, the doubloons were a huge success, so much so that the next year’s order was not only larger but also were stamped with the date. Fenner placed an order for 3,000 of the coins, which would have a bust of Rex on the front and the School of Design’s coat of arms on the reverse. Hence, the “Mardi Gras Doubloon” was born. This size made his coins similar to the gold Spanish doblón-what most would recognize from nearly any classic pirate story. Since Sharpe was using aluminum, the coins could be larger than a silver dollar and much lighter. They bounced off of the captain, harmlessly hitting the floor. When he walked into the room, Sharpe threw a handful of the blank prototype coins at Fenner. ![]() Undeterred, Sharpe made an appointment to meet at Fenner’s office to present his design in person. He shared his proposal with local financier and then-Captain of the Rex Organization Darwin Fenner, but Fenner was unconvinced, voicing his concerns about crowd safety. Sharpe’s solution: coins minted from aluminum-a unique and fitting throw for the King of Carnival. Rex, they decided, needed something new in order to keep its place at the top. By the late 1950s, parades grew in number and spread out into most neighborhoods of the city, with some expanding into the suburbs. The men in charge of the Krewe of Rex recognized their position in the Carnival hierarchy and regularly took steps to maintain it. Alvin Sharpe got word that the School of Design, better known as the Rex Organization, was looking for a new throw. A King’s Ransom - The Krewe of Rex and the New Doubloon ![]()
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