Pirates of the Caribbean: Aztec Gold Coins

[Sevv]

To go with my Dead Mans Chest I couldn't resist making myself a few Aztec gold coins to go with it. Yes I know its the wrong chest but I would still love a few to be inside. I have contacted a local gold plating company and they have given me a very good price to 24k gold plate a few coins so that's very exciting!

I'm currently 3D modelling one as close to the movie as I possibly can, resin print, cast in pewter and then get it cold plated as above.

I've been researching and found nearly all of the replicas available, MR and others etc have a very different front and back design. The front being the skull design we all know with the back being a more Aztec line design. You can see it here:

Maintenance

Thing is, watching the film again... I do forget how perfect that film is! Damn I love it... anyway watching the film again when Elizabeth is forced to slice her hand and drop the coin in slow motion into the chest. Its very obvious her coin, and therefore I can assume all the others, are in fact two sized with the skull design.

I'm all for screen accuracy so I am kinda conflicted. I think it should be double sided skull... which personally I prefer... but there must be a reason why all the replicas are different.

If anyone can advise id appreciate it.

Thanks

 

[eethan]

Nice project, and i'll be following it as well
if you don't know about it already, there is that blog which is normally from the maker of the gold coin for the movie, he explains nicelly how the production worked for those and the back and forth with the art department. he says that they are two sided with the two different designs... I would be interested to check out again the scene with the medalion, according to that prop master, the medalion is one of the coins that he made.

Pirates of the Caribbean Cortés Gold

When people find out what we did for a living, we usually get asked – ‘What is your favourite film prop?’ It is a difficult question to answer since we made such a wide variety of things over a for…

ourlifewithprops.wordpress.com

 

[Sevv]

Thats very interesting. Thanks for posting. Yeah the design in that article clearly shows two different sides.

I cant help but want to stick to the film though. Even though some of the coins might have had a different back you never see it in the film. The only time I can find you actually see the back of a coin is when Barbosa makes Elizabeth drop her coin with her blood on. It’s full frame rotating as it drops and its clearly a double skull design.

I totally appreciate that article but I think I’m going to go for ‘movie authentic’ and have it double skull.

 

[Sevv]

Wanted to post an early WIP... still very much in progress. Please don't judge me yet

 

[Wonder Knight]

Hi Sevv,

There are at least two scenes where you can see the different back of the coin in the movie. There is when Elisabeth is a child, and when Jack steals a coin from the treasure chest.

But indeed in the film everything is filmed so that we think we see both sides identical.
For the scene where we see the coin fallen I think it's 3D.

I follow your work with interest and good luck with your projects

 

[Sevv]

Oohhh look at that!! You’re right you can see the other side. Thank you for posting. Oh now I’m torn, not sure what to do

The film contradicts itself. That’s very unhelpful

 

[eethan]

The film contradicts itself. That’s very unhelpful

ahah, when do film not contradict themselves with props?
it's pretty cool that my WonderWife found some images of the film were we can actually see the back of the medalion, that being said, the director apparently changed his mind at some point and very clearly made sure that we could see the skull on both sides of the coin in some main scenes, so your idea of making that version is still a pretty cool idea I think, that would indeed be screenacurate for most of the public of the film and it would be the only good replica that does that I guess.
good luck with that other cool project but keep us updated on your progress on the chest too

 

[Sevv]

I love what you learn on this forum. Thanks again for the information, love it

Yeah I think I’m going to stick to double skull, I definitely prefer it. Ooohhh exciting.

The chest is coming along nicely. I’m still going through all my figurings out before I actually make it. I’ve certainly learnt a lot.

I’ve been laid out with an awful cold for 2 weeks which has annoyingly slowed me down. Coming out the other side of it now

 

[Cbstudios]

I'm absolutely loving your pirates content at the moment Sevv, as a Jack Sparrow cosplayer and prop builder, I'm having a blast seeing your work!

 

[Sevv]

Thank you very much, appreciate that. Update. Model is coming along nicely.

 

[Sevv]

Not final by any means but I always like to print my rough cuts as a WIP to give me a better sense of size, shape, 3Dness etc plus it’s just cool. They are small sent they?

Looking at it in person, ive defiantly got some of the details far too thick and wrong in places. Far too thick especially if its going to be coated in 0.5 microns of gold.

 

[Cbstudios]

Oh my god this is gorgeous.

 

[Sevv]

Continuing to refine the forms. Fun challenge. Due to how small it is and the resolution of the printer combined with how much material gold plating will add to it. Definitely have to model it in a unique way.

 

[Sevv]

Still refining those forms

 

[benhs1898]

Very impressive!

 

[leonanthony]

Looks awesome!

 

[Chris Moliere]

I enjoy seeing 3d prints of props, especially resin. Looks nice!

 

[robstyle]

If I recall way back when at Disney stores they had a felt bag that you could stuff with plastic coins for a set price. Those coins were taken directly off those made for the film minus the Disney trademark.

There was also another maker for the coins. That person was never paid for their work nor credited. I know they are a member here so if he sees this maybe he would chime in. It's not my place to speak for him.

Lastly the mirrored front and back image would be for camera purposes. It would always be seen face up if dropped, picked up, placed in frame.... It's common for many props in that situation especially coins or money or such. If it's dropped or picked up it's always going to read on camera.

 

[Sevv]

Getting really close now

 

[Cbstudios]

Thats looking amazing! The detail looks practically flawless!