Pirate Treasure Coin Pack

Product Description: The Pirate Treasure coin pack contains a reproduction of a Philip II Two Escudos (doubloon) coin that is made from pewter that is 22ct gold plated. Pirate coins were a widely recognised form of currency during the Golden Age of Piracy. The double-sided pack has a hole in which the coin is held in a clear blister, this allows both the obverse and reverse to be clearly seen. The card shows an image of Blackbeard on the front. There is historical information about pirates and their treasure on the reverse.

Information: Gold Escudos (doubloon) – Pirates favourite booty was Spanish gold or silver. A Spanish gold doubloon was worth about seven weeks pay for an ordinary sailor. This two Escudos gold coin is of Phillip II of Spain who sent an armada to conquer England. The British Navy under Sir Francis Drake defeated this armada on 21st July 1588. Gold escudos like this one were also plundered from the Spanish by famous privateers such as Walter Raleigh (c.1552 – 1618) and Drake’s cousin John Hawkins (1532-95). Famous buccaneers included Sir Henry Morgan (c.1635-88) who attacked the Spanish colonies; Blackbeard who caused terror in the Caribbean for two years; and Captain Kidd (c.1645-1701) who raided European trade routes in the Indian Ocean and was tried and hanged as a pirate.

The word Pirate means ‘one who plunders the sea’. Those who led this life fell into several categories: ‘privateers’ were sea raiders with a licence, from the government, to pillage enemy ships; ‘buccaneers’ were 17th century pirates who menaced the Spanish in the Caribbean; ‘corsairs’ were privateers and pirates who roamed the Mediterranean.