ant=antique finish, bz=bronze, Al=aluminium
If you can supply any missing illustrations, please do so.
 

The Mardi Gras is celebrated in many places. In 2002, it was the weekend before St-P's Day. I suspect a common celebration might sometimes take place. However,since the Mardi Gras is 40 days before Easter Sunday, only when Easter is relatively "late" will the two coincide. A separate St Patrick's Day Parade therefore normally takes place.
To confuse matters even more, some of the Irish clubs take part in the (Italian) St Joseph's Day Parade, ad issue "throws" then as well!

Doubloons - These are aluminum, coin-like objects bearing the krewe's insignia on one side and the parade's theme on the reverse. Doubloons were first introduced in 1960 and created by New Orleans artist H. Alvin Sharpe. Doubloons are also minted and sold in .999 silver, bronze and cloisonne.

For those of you who don't know, Mardi Gras doubloons are (usually) brightly colored aluminum coins about the size of a silver dollar. They are thrown by Krewe members from Mardi Gras floats. Doubloons usually have the symbol of the Krewe on the front along with the date the Krewe was organized, the back side usually has the theme for that years parade as well as the date. Each Krewe may have a number of different doubloons for each years parade. Usually the silver ones (i.e. plain aluminium) are the most common, followed by a range of colors from red to gold. Some Krewes mint real bronze, silver and even gold doubloons, however these are very rare and seldom put up for sale. Many Mardi Gras doubloons are fairly rare outside of New Orleans, and many are rare even in the city.

Necklaces of beads are traditionally handed out to revellers in exchange for a kiss (more recently a flash!). They're also thrown from floats, like the doubloons at the Mardi Gras festival (I think the Mardi Gras & St Patrick's day parades are sometimes combined, falling, as they sometimes do, within a week or two of each other). The following adds a St. Patricks Day Parade medal. They can be bought for $2.49 a dozen - about 15p each!

Necklaces with a St. Patrick's Day parade scene medallion.
These are 7mm 33" metallic green necklaces with a custom medallion. The medallion is a 2.5" round plastic disc which has been foil stamped with our "drunken band" design. The bottom of the medallion reads "St. Patrick's Day Parade"

Irish-Italians Salute ...

Necklaces are becoming more popular - there were ones with a chain made of tiny shamrocks in 2004. Another 2004 had a "chain" made of tiny tricolour flags.

My thanks to Richard Trowbridge
for supplying this information.

GA = gauge or thickness of the alumunium

Auction lots of 100 different Mardi Gras pieces sell for just $10 on eBay.
Individual Al pieces (thrown to the crowd) are often offered for just $1-2.
Bi-coloured pieces (given to krewe members) go for $5-10
Silver pieces (given to dignatories or the Grand Marshal) often go unsold for $10.

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The following was found on the www http://www.howstuffworks.com/mardi-gras3.htm. The links below require an internet connection.

A Mardi Gras Glossary

Before we go into more detail on what actually happens during Mardi Gras, let's take a look the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau list of some of the most important terms related to the big party in the "Big Easy":

• Ball (tableau ball) - This is a masked party featuring, as entertainment, the performance of scenes representing a specific theme.
• Boeuf Gras - This is the fatted bull or ox and symbolizes the last meat eaten before the Lenten season of fasting (the "live" version presented in the Rex parade was replaced in 1959 by a papier-mache version). The Boeuf Gras is one of the most photographed sights at Mardi Gras.
• Captain - The leader of each Mardi Gras organization
• Court - The king, queen, maids and dukes of a Mardi Gras organization
• Doubloons - These are aluminum, coin-like objects bearing the krewe's insignia on one side and the parade's theme on the reverse. Doubloons were first introduced in 1960 and created by New Orleans artist H. Alvin Sharpe. Doubloons are also minted and sold in .999 silver, bronze and cloisonne.
• Favor - This is a personalized souvenir, given by organization members to friends attending the ball.
• Invitation - This is a non-transferable printed request for attendance at a Mardi Gras ball. Note: It is considered improper to call these "tickets."
• King Cake - This is an oval, sugared cake with a plastic baby doll hidden inside. The person who finds the doll is crowned "king" and buys the next colorful cake. The King Cake season opens on King's Day, January 6. According to "Mardi Gras Guide" publisher Arthur Hardy, more than 750,000 King Cakes are eaten each year in New Orleans during carnival season, and thousands more are ordered from special bakeries and shipped to celebrants around the country. (If you can't get to New Orleans, make your own King Cakes with this recipe!)
• Krewe - This is the generic term for all carnival organizations and clubs in New Orleans. Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology are the sources for nearly half the krewe names. Some clubs are named after the neighborhoods through which they travel, while others are named after historical figures or places. Clubs are chartered as non-profit entities and are financed by dues, by the sale of krewe-emblemed merchandise to its members and by fund-raising projects. Most Mardi Gras krewes are also involved in charity work.
• Lundi Gras - This is French for Fat Monday. From 1897 to 1917, the day before Mardi Gras was celebrated by the arrival of King Rex aboard a steamboat. The custom was revived in 1987.
• Throws - These are inexpensive souvenirs tossed from floats (since around 1871) by costumed and masked krewe members in response to traditional calls of, "Throw me something, mister!" These "throws" include doubloons, plastic cups and necklaces.

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A lot of 113 doubloons thrown during New Orleans St Patrick's Day parades from 1967 to 1984 which included doubloons thrown by a variety of different Irish American organizations or established New Orleans groups that just liked to party and join in parades was offered on eBay and sold for $60.
Represented in the collection;
Irish Channel
Pete Fountain Half Fast Walking Club
Krewe of Satan
Le Mat De Mardi Gras Social and Marching Club
Turnbull Social and Carnival Club
Jefferson Parrish
Terrace Corner Marching Club
Military Order of Cooties
Delachaise Marching Club
Garden District Carnival Club
Algiers Irish Rebels
Argus
Jefferson City Buzzards
Elks
Krewe of Helios
Irish Mist Marching Club
Cleary Marching Club
Waveland Civic Organization
Downtown Irish Club
Charlies Saints Marching Club
Jefferson Royals
Shady Ladies Marching Club
Mystic Nites of Juma

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