(1910 – 1982)
Every year millions of people descend upon the city of New Orleans in February to celebrate Mardi Gras. Among the many staples of this decadent Fat Tuesday celebration is the doubloon, an aluminum coin thrown from the parade floats to the audience below.
Originally the brainchild of Kentucky-born artist Henry Alvin (H. Alvin) Sharpe, most people don’t know the real story behind this iconic piece of Mardi Gras history. In 1960, the Rex Organization’s then-captain Darwin Fenner wanted to create a new giveaway for Mardi Gras. So New Orleans artist Sharpe took on the challenge of crafting an aluminum coin for him, using his skills in intaglio or inscribing metal.
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| Sterling Pendant Inspired by Doubloon |
The legend goes that Fenner was concerned because he thought the aluminum would be too heavy to throw into the throngs of people and thus wasn’t initially on board with Sharpe’s design. To prove his point, Sharpe marched into Fenner’s office and threw a handful of aluminum coins at his head. The stunt worked like a charm and the doubloon (named after the Spanish doblón) was introduced to the celebration that year.
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| Sketches and Prototypes of Highly Collectible Doubloon |
Although certainly his best-known work, creating the Mardi Gras doubloon was not the only artistic work of Henry Alvin (H. Alvin) Sharpe. He worked in several artistic disciplines, including painting, etching, silver-smithery, and jewelry design. Interestingly, like jeweler Andrew Grima whom we wrote about previously, Sharpe was also a self-taught artisan.
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| Smith's Silver Work |
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| Gold and Ruby Pendant |
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| Poor Working Girl Sterling and Enamel Pendant |
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| Silver Gilt Ring in the Shape of a Pecan |
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| Sterling, Ruby, and 22K Gold Ring |
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| High Carat Gold and Ruby Ring |
Currently available on
1st dibs, this 24K gold ring features a uniquely shaped ruby and a large width band full of Sharpe’s signature etchings, including the unmistakable Tear of David.
Henry Alvin (H. Alvin) Sharpe’s work is intriguing on many levels. As with most artist-jewelers, the common thread of multidiscipline runs through his work.
Accomplished, interesting, and loved, Sharpe’s personality remains alive in his relics and his one-of-a-kind jeweled works don’t just exhibit the craft, they exhibit the soul of the man.
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