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Article

The Art of Mardi Gras Doubloons

The artists who design Mardi Gras doubloons do an outstanding job. The art is most obvious on the multicolor doubloons.

Many Mardi Gras organizations still issue doubloons, and some resurgence in collecting them is apparent. For a period, they waned in interest, but now there seems to be an appetite for them. Many parades throw aluminum doubloons from the floats. At one time they were tossed in abundance. Now, only a few parades toss them generously, some parades may have just a few riders participating in tossing doubloons. For one thing the price of aluminum is up, and the people tossing them must buy them.

The Art of the Doubloon

On one side of a doubloon is usually the emblem of the parade, often a character from mythology that serves as the namesake of the organization.  A few exceptions in the naming after mythological gods include Rex (the King of Carnival), Alla (named for Algiers, Louisiana), Grela (named for Gretna, Louisiana),  Zulu (named for an African people), and Choctaw, (named for a Native American people).  Other exceptions also exist. 

 

On the other side of the doubloon is often the theme for the year depicted in beautiful imagery. 

 

Both sides of the doubloon are often well done.  Often the art is beautiful.

Happy Mardi Gras Frosted Glass Coffee MugHappy Mardi Gras Frosted Glass Coffee Mug
Happy Mardi Gras Color Morph MugHappy Mardi Gras Color Morph Mug
Happy Mardi Gras Two-Tone Coffee MugHappy Mardi Gras Two-Tone Coffee Mug
Happy Mardi Gras MugHappy Mardi Gras Mug
Happy Mardi Gras Coffee MugHappy Mardi Gras Coffee Mug

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Special Doubloons

The doubloons tossed to those viewing the parade are generally aluminum, and some of these doubloons may be colored.  But higher quality doubloons, which cost more, are not normally thrown from floats.  They include bronze, oxidized silver, multicolor, and fine silver doubloons.

 

The special doubloons often have the same images as the aluminum doubloons, but the eye appeal is greatly enhanced.  This article will show some, a small sample, of multicolor doubloons.  Some of those are colorized on both sides, and others are colorized on only one side.  Some are high relief.  A few are cloisonne doubloons. 

 

If there is but two colors the doubloon is called a dual doubloon, and if there are but three colors it is called a tricolor doubloon.  Dual doubloons are nice, but not as nice as the tricolor and multicolor doubloons.

 

Below is a sample of a Mardi Gras doubloon  I currently have in.  It and many others are available at the time of writing this article in my Ebay store using the seller name blackspanielgallery.  My Ebay store also includes some other Mardi Gras items.

The Images Below

First, generally multicolor doubloons are colorized bronze doubloons.  Some colorized doubloons are colorized on both sides, others have one side uncolored.  The images below are paired, so two consecutive images are from the same doubloon, starting from the top.  I have some doubloons with both sides colorized, and others with only one side colorized.  I find both works of art.  I hope you agree.

 

Notice I have two doubloons from Pegasus, albeit from different years.  One side has an identical design except for the colors used.  Choice of design and color is up to the organization.

 

The doubloon that was for a Captain is rare due to its scarcity.  Still, its value is not unreasonably high.  These doubloons are all affordable to most people.

 

The size of each doubloon is close to the size of coin containing an ounce of silver, such as the American Siler Eagle, the Britannia, and the Philharmonic.

 

 

Multicolor Mardi Gras Doubloons

Choctaw Side 1
Choctaw Side 2
Endymion Side 1
Endymion Side 2
Atlas Side 1
Atlas Side 2
Venus Side 1
Venus Side 2
Carrollton Side 1
Carrollton Side 2
Alla Side 1
Alla Side 2
Pegasus Side 1
Pegasus Side 2
Pegasus 2 Side 1
Pegasus 2 Side 2

Dual and Tricolor Doubloons

Dual doubloons have just two colors, one for a highlighted image and one for the field, or background.  Tricolor doubloons have just three colors.

 

I have an interesting dual doubloon to show below.  It has the shape of a shield.  While many doubloons are round, the images above already has one oval doubloon.  Several other special shapes exist for doubloons, including Pandora's Box, and purses.

 

I believe you will find the dual and tricolor doubloons works of art.  I will show only one side of the dual doubloon

Dual and Tricolor Mardi Gras Doubloons

Thor Dual
Babylon Tricolor Mardi Gras Doubloon Side 1
Babylon Tricolor Mardi Gras Doubloon Side 2

Other Articles

There is much more to say about Mardi Gras doubloons.  I have covered some of this in other articles.  Please see below.

Mardi Gras

Doubloons

  • Mardi Gras Doubloons

    Mardi Gras doubloons for a current year can be obtained free from parades. But, there are better, more collectible Mardi Gras doubloons that one should consider collecting.

This article contains links to affiliate programs and Adsense advertising.  These must use cookies to allow for proper crediting. As a Zazzle and an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

The introduction image is a Zazzle product from my Zazzle creations, and the image on the product is my own.

 

I have taken all images myself, and have the right to use each of them.

Updated July 2, 2022

Comments

blackspanielgalleryFeb 19, 2022

The ones I show here are not the ones parades throw, they are bought by members of the group and are available from them. Once they are passed on they do have a market, and can be found.

CountrySunshineFeb 18, 2022

This was quite interesting. I have gone to Mardi Gras and received the doubloons, but had no idea about their history or coloring. I especially found the information on shape to be helpful. I thought they were all round! Great article!

blackspanielgalleryFeb 16, 2022

Mardi Gras here is based in French and Spanish tradition, Louisiana having been a possession of both. In fact, at one time it was French a second time and governed by a Spanish governor, I believe as an agreement between France and Spain. So, the area has a rich Catholic history, hence Mardi Gras evolved.
The inventor of the doubloon probably named them, but I do not know the reason.

VeronicaFeb 16, 2022

BSG
I love the use of the term doubloons. It suggests pirates and treasure to us. Is it of Spanish origins ?

blackspanielgalleryFeb 16, 2022

Alla is for AL of Algiers LA for Louisiana, and GRELA is GRE from Gretna, and LA for Louisiana.
Many organizations make bronze as well, with no coloring, or Antique Bronze. Some make Oxidized Silver, which is silver oxide applied to bronze doubloons.
I tried for a picture Wizzle here, and the other articles were related, but different, information.

DerdriuMarrinerFeb 16, 2022

blackspanielgallery, Thank you for practical information, pretty pictures and product lines.
What kind of camera under which conditions and specifications are you using to get such clear, compelling images?
The organizations choose such interesting names. But how does one get -- unless they draw upon earlier names? -- Alla for Algiers and Grela for Gretna?
You indicate that "generally multicolor doubloons are colorized bronze doubloons." Is the bronze doubloon distinctively colorized or not colorized at all?
It's helpful that you mention some of your other Mardi Gras wizzleys. Sometime before COVID, perhaps beginning in 2018? -- as Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson says in The Almanac, "The days passed slowly but the years flew by" -- I read all your articles and everybody else's on Page Wizz and -- with no more than perhaps five exceptions -- Wizzley. So thank you for supplying the starting point for reconstructing your previous contributions on the subject, since the topic bar no longer works.
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