The John Hancock Pocket Watch That Sold For A Mint On Pawn Stars

It's no secret that "Pawn Stars" shop owner Rick Harrison is a history buff. As an avid collector and trader of renowned, expensive items, Rick comes off as a knowledgeable figure in many episodes. Most of the time, Rick only gets to show off his historical chops when a customer comes into the shop to sell something. However, he has also been known to seek out rare items outside of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop.

In particular, Rick often goes hunting to add items to his own personal collection (rather than selling them for a profit as he usually would). He doesn't search for small-time finds either. In one episode, Rick even purchased a pocket watch that once belonged to one of America's founding fathers, John Hancock.

Hancock was an interesting figure for his time. Wealthy and rebellious, he defied the British Crown by smuggling in cheaper illegal tea from the Dutch East India Co. (England had a monopoly on colonial tea at the time). He is even the brain behind the Boston Tea Party and (according to legend) the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence. In other words, Hancock is exactly the kind of historical figure whose belongings Rick would want in his collection. In fact, Rick wanted the pocket watch so bad that he was willing to pay big money for it.