How Much Pawn Stars Paid For This Unique Pack Of $10 Bills
Although it's been over ten years since Pawn Stars originally premiered on History, formerly known as The History Channel, the series still has a huge fanbase and features consistently interesting finds. With over 600 episodes to date, the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas brings viewers inside the everyday life of Rick Harrison, Corey "Big Hoss" Harrison, and Austin "Chumlee" Russell. The show also features Richard "Old Man" Harrison in early episodes, who co-owned the shop with his son Rick until his death in 2018.
Pawn Stars focuses on the staff at the shop as they interact with people coming in to sell their special wares and commodities. In the business of pawning, the shop has a long list of experts who they bring in to verify the authenticity of items before Rick and the others purchase it. Many intriguing items have come through the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, including John F. Kennedy's cigar box, a book from Isaac Newton's library, and an autographed screenplay of The Godfather.
In one particular negotiation during season 6 of Pawn Stars, a man comes into the shop looking to sell a unique stack of $10 bills. What makes this single stack of money so special? Well, it happens to be one of the exploding dye packs that go off when someone tries to rob a bank, spewing paint everywhere, and very few people have ever seen one.
So just how much does Rick end up paying for this?
Pawn Stars bought the exploding dye stack of money for $175
For those who don't know, these exploding dye packs are essentially stacks of money with the center cut out, with ink and a small explosive device placed inside. When a bank is being robbed, employees are instructed to put one of these packs in with all the other money. There is a sensor near the exit of the bank that will set off a short countdown before the dye explodes, staining the robbers and all the money in bright paint. This makes the money completely useless, and essentially paints the robbers with a sign saying, "I robbed the bank. I'm your guy," so that the police can more easily catch them.
Rick and Chumlee are initially hesitant about the item, thinking the stack might be owned by the federal government and be illegal to purchase. They bring in an expert who clears it all up, saying that the exploding dye packs are actually manufactured by a private company and are perfectly legal to own. As it's such a rare item to even see, Rick asks the owner what his price is. Starting at $500, he manages to haggle the price all the way down to $175. That's quite the steal for an item only seen by bank executives and bank robbers.
Pawn Stars just finished airing its 18th season on History, and you can watch this specific exchange there or on the show's YouTube channel.