A doubloon was a gold coin used in Spain and Spanish colonies from the 1500s through the 1800s. The name comes from the Spanish word for “double,” because it was worth two escudos, another Spanish coin.

Doubloons were among the most valuable coins in circulation during the age of exploration and piracy. Spanish treasure ships carried thousands of doubloons from mines in South America back to Spain, making them prime targets for pirates and privateers. When a pirate ship captured a Spanish galleon, doubloons were often the most prized part of the treasure.

These coins frequently appear in adventure stories about pirates and buried treasure. In Treasure Island, Long John Silver and his crew search for a chest filled with doubloons. Real doubloons recovered from shipwrecks are valuable today, not just for their gold content but as historical artifacts worth far more to collectors than their original face value.

When someone discovers something valuable, they might exclaim “doubloons!” as a playful reference to finding treasure, even if they're just talking about finding cookies hidden in the pantry.