The German Coin That Sold For Hundreds On Pawn Stars

Rick Harrison always seems to know the history of whatever item happens to walk through the doors of his Las Vegas-based Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. And, if he doesn't know the history of a particularly exotic item, it's a surefire bet that he knows someone who does. Whether someone is looking to sell a piece of comic book history or a vintage Harley-Davidson shirt, the odds are pretty low that Harrison and his colleagues will be completely unable to tell you how much an item is worth.

In a recent Season 18 episode, a seller named Mike walks through the doors equipped with a 1688 German Wildman Thaler coin. As seen in a clip shared on the History YouTube channel, Harrison tells Mike a good deal of information, even without phoning a friend. However, when it comes to making an expensive deal to purchase any item, he typically tends to play things on the safe side. After Mike requests $1,000 for the coin, Harrison insists that he call over David Vagi, the director of the Ancients branch of Numismatic Guaranty Company, in order to accurately estimate the coin's value.

The "Pawn Stars" clip goes on to reveal that, while Rick Harrison and David Vagi are both immediately impressed with the condition of the coin, a significantly closer inspection is required to estimate its value. Upon examining the backside of the coin, Vagi notices an abbreviated Latin inscription that translates to "Rudolph Augustus and Anthony Ulrich from Brunswick and Lüneburg." He explains that Augustus and Ulrich were two brothers who served as German princes in the late 17th century. After detailing the history of the item, Vagi confirms that the coin is a genuine artifact of the time.

Unfortunately for Mike, who hopes to sell the coin for $1,000, Vagi tells the two that he believes the item is worth about $600. Always one to consider the profit he hopes to make after resale, Harrison presents Mike with a counteroffer of $300. The seller recognizes that the coin isn't worth quite as much as he was hoping and bounces back with an offer of $450. The "Pawn Stars" alum hesitates because he is unsure whether a future buyer will be interested in the old German coin. Ultimately, he agrees to purchase the item for $400.