Why This Pair Of Russian Cossack Swords Didn't Sell On Pawn Stars
"Antiques Roadshow" was a BBC series where people would bring their valuables to experts to see how much they could theoretically sell them for. Some people walked away with the best news in the world, knowing they had an item worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Other people were a bit more peeved with their situation. The experts knew what they were talking about, and sometimes, they had the displeasure of informing the owner that the object passed down from one generation to the next was a fake.
To carry on that legacy, "Pawn Stars" is present to fill the void. Rick Harrison and his son, Corey, know a lot about history, and if they don't know something, they have a cavalcade of experts to bring in to provide them with more information. Again, sometimes the owner walks away realizing they kept a bunch of junk on the shelf for years, such as the instance with the pair of Soviet Union Cossack swords in Season 18's "Action Packed Pawn."
Significant portions of the swords were reproductions
The episode shows the benefits one can reap by having a professional look at your goods. The swords themselves were neither fully authentic nor completely fake. Expert Mark Hall-Patton stated the bayonets on the sword were correct to the time period. However, the sheaths and blades of the larger swords were made more recently. On one of the pieces, Hall-Patton even pointed out how one of them was artificially aged.
It turns out to be bad news for the seller. Corey wasn't interested in getting a somewhat authentic piece of Russian history, so the blades walked out of the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop without a deal. It's a shame for the seller. A single sword at one auction sold for just over $2,400. It's easy to see a scenario where the seller sold each for at least $1,500, which isn't a bad payday for some stuff that was likely collecting dust at his home.
In terms of what we got, the segment serves as an excellent reminder to keep your expectations in check when visiting the team from "Pawn Stars."