A Duncan Story
(Bruce Duncan) ...About the only thing I remember about them,
is that in the late 50's (maybe 56 to 59?) the Krewe had minted a goodly quantity
of
the
Gold
Doubloon & Silver Piece of Eight coins to throw to the crowds at the parade.
I don't remember if the parades were at night or during the day back then.
I was possibly in my early teens (10-12) then. Krewe representatives went to
solicit some of the local downtown FWB Businesses as to whether they would
honor the coins with some type of monetary value (maybe $1.00 for a silver
coin & $2.00 for a gold coin-??) good toward part of a purchase in those
businesses. Some of the merchants agreed, and so they were thrown to the masses
in whichever parade. Some time after the first tossing I remembered hearing
that a U.S. Department of Treasury agent(s) came calling about them finding
out about the coins being used for the purpose above, and told the Krewe that
they could not use the coins as intended because that would be a form of counterfitting
coins, which as we all know is illegal to do. So, the agents supposedly gave
the Krewe a warning (slap on the back of the hand) and told them not to do
that anymore. So, I guess that whatever amounts of coins that were left at
that time were given to my Father (Finley Duncan) for safe keeping and he put
them in the safe he had in the Duncan Amusement Company business he owned and
operated.
I knew about the coins being in the safe for quite some time, but never thought about doing anything with them, not knowing what dad wanted to do with them while he was still alive. After he passed away in 1989 and having to move our offices to different locations several times over those years after, and not really using the safe much anymore, I moved the safe down here at my Mother's home. It had not been opened for a year or so, and I decided to get back into it looking for some other paperwork I needed this year (2006) hoping I would find it in the safe. I got the safe opened and there they were (the coins) still in the original bags from when they were put there. So I decided, after no one seeing them for approximately 50 years, that it was time to turn them back in to the Krewe to be done with as whomever ( Capt. Billy 51 ), or his designates (Board) should decide to do. It was kind-of like finding one of Captain Billy Bowlegs lost treasures and giving it back to the Pirates. The coins were returned to the krewe, one each, to every member in good standings. Any member not receiving their coins should contact Capt Billy 51.
It was a good feeling to know what I was able to do for the Krewe's History
with the coins, as I have grown-up with the Krewe in my family background
since the
Krewe's inception in or about 1954, and later being able to become a member of
the famed Pirate Krewe. 'PIRATE'S RULE", and now the coins will become something
for all members to "treasure" in their family's from now until Hell
freezes over. May God Bless Us All as we continue our tradition of the founding
fathers of the Krewe of Bowlegs.
In Preservation of Piracy.....I remain...
Bruce E. Duncan
Loyal Pirate at Heart and on the High Seas!!