Ever wondered where our favorite pirate coins from The Pirates of the Caribbean saga came from? Pieces of Eight were actually the Spanish dollar known as peso de ocho and were silver coins, about 38 millimeters in diameter. They were minted in the Spanish Empire after the Spanish Currency Reform of 1497.
Every Pirate Lord has a sacred "Piece of 8" —the object each one used in the past to bind Calypso and swear their allegiance to the Pirate's Code. The nine pieces of eight burned to release Calypso. Pieces of eight were used to call the Brethren Court to assemble at Shipwreck Cove.
'a piece of eight' is a spanish currency. The original idea was to split a piece of eight in to nine pieces (one for each of the pirate lords) to perform the spell which would bind calypso to her human form.
Pieces of eight are historical Spanish dollar coins minted in the Americas from the late 15th century through the 19th century. Made of silver, they were in nearly worldwide circulation by the late 19th century and were legal currency in the United States until 1857.
This trinket, also known as Jack Sparrow's Pirate Beads and Jack's Piece of Eight, was one of the sacred Nine Pieces of Eight belonging to the Pirate Lord of the Caribbean Sea. It was made out of a small, ancient coin from Siam woven into Moroccan beads.
Barbossa becomes a Pirate Lord after he is given one of the Pieces of Eight, which eventually becomes Ragetti's wooden eyeball, by Captain Boris 'Borya' Palachnik. During the events of the novel Barbossa's ship, Cobra, was destroyed by Borya.
Unlike today, cutting money was not illegal. In fact, it was expected that to make change people literally cut the coins into eight pieces, or “bits.” Hence, the British called the Spanish dollar a “Piece of Eight” (a coin worth eight pieces, or bits), and something valued at “two bits” cost a quarter of a dollar.
The real is the currency used by the Spanish Empire from the 14th century until its replacement by the escudo in 1864. The first Spanish reals were minted during the reign of Alfonso XI of Castile (1311-1350) and were worth 3 maravedis, the Spanish currency since Alfonso VI.
The Black Pearl (formerly known as the Wicked Wench) is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the ship is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl is said to be "nigh uncatchable".
However, when Jones returned to shore after ten years, Calypso failed to appear. Believing Calypso had betrayed him, a heartbroken and enraged Davy Jones turned the Pirate Brethren against her, saying that if she were removed from the world, they would be able to claim the seas for themselves.
It's a Spanish silver coin worth 8 Spanish reales. So the 9 pirates would break the coin (worth 8) into 9 pieces. One piece of the coin for each of the 9 pirates. So basically 9 pieces of a coin worth 8 of it's face value.
Since these coins were worth their weight in silver, change could be made by cutting the whole coin into eight pieces or “bits.” The British referred to the whole Spanish dollar as a “piece of eight” (a coin worth eight pieces or bits). This coin would have been valued at “two bits” by British standards.
As producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirms, the forthcoming Pirates of the Caribbean 6 won't be a mere sequel; it's slated for a reboot, promising a fresh direction for the swashbuckling saga. Central to this transformation is the uncertainty surrounding Johnny Depp's return as the iconic Captain Jack Sparrow.
Will there be a reboot of Pirates of the Caribbean? 'Pirates of the Caribbean' producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed that 'Pirates of the Caribbean 6' will be a reboot. In an interview with 'ComicBook.com', he suggested that rebooting the franchise would make it logistically easier to manage the production schedule.
There are various varieties of this coin, versions of which were minted in Latin America as well as Spain. Spanish milled dollars are worth about $50 to $350. If you can substantiate that your coin is from a treasure ship, that might enhance its value.
How much were pieces of eight worth around 1700? 1/8 of a Reale or peso. Roughly about 12.5 cents. The old chant 2 bits 4 bits 6 bits a dollar, came from this.
In fact, it was expected that, to make change, they literally cut the coins into 8 pieces or “bits.” Hence, the British called the Spanish dollar a “Piece of Eight,” and when they said something cost “two bits,” they meant it cost a quarter of a dollar.
Long John Silver is a character from Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. He was never a real pirate and was probably not based on any real pirates. Nonetheless, he has become so iconic in the popular imagination that he is many people's first instinct when they imagine a pirate.
You might associate doubloons with sunken pirate ships, and they were a common form of currency in the 17th and 18th century, an era sometimes called the "Golden Age of Piracy." The word comes from the Spanish doble, "double." A doubloon was worth twice as much as a ducat, and this may be where its name came from, ...
Few coins muster the mystique of the “pillar dollar“, known to Spanish-speakers as columnario” – a truly beautiful coin that was ONLY struck at the Spanish colonial mints of Mexico, Lima, Potosí, Guatemala, Santiago, and Bogotá.
Following his return to piracy Barbossa wore a very old-fashioned wig, clinging to the baroque style, believing that it gave him importance. Even officers of the British Royal Navy and East India Trading Company wore wigs, like James Norrington, Theodore Groves, Gillette, and Cutler Beckett.
When they fell under the Aztec Curse, Barbossa and his crew suffered a living death, feeling and tasting nothing: "... drink would not satisfy; food turned to ash in our mouths." The pirate captain himself was tormented by flavorless apples. He longed to be mortal so that he can once more taste the flesh of the fruit.
When asked about some of the characters' health, screenwriter Terry Rossio said the likeliest cause of the yellow eyes is jaundice, a close cousin to scurvy; or, in the case of pirate captains Hector Barbossa and Chevalle, both considered ladies men, hepetitis.
