The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word DOUBLOON
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
O
U
B
L
O
O
N
More clues leading to the result DOUBLOON
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "money once abroad" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case money once abroad = doubloon.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does DOUBLOON mean?
DOUBLOON noun- A former Spanish gold coin, also used in its American colonies.