ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

Uncovering the ‘Holy Grail’ Coin's Journey to a $80,000 Triumph

Rick Harrison, the famous businessman from Pawn Stars was shocked when he saw the valuable coin.
PUBLISHED JAN 28, 2024
Cover Image Source: |Pexels | Photo by Lay Low
Cover Image Source: |Pexels | Photo by Lay Low

Winning coins of high value is like going on an enthralling journey where regular old coins turn into special treasures. These coins all of a sudden become more than just money; they become ancient, aesthetic, and valuable. Some people have the hobby of exploring, finding, and collecting these special coins and diving deep into the fascinating stories behind them. Winning or having possession of an ancient coin is like getting the opportunity to touch the past and feel how the times were back then. Let's dig deep into such a story where a man mistakes an old coin for a regular one and gets fascinated when he knows its value.  

A man holding and adoring an old coin|Pexels|Photo by Erik Mclean
A man holding and adoring an old coin|Pexels|Photo by Erik Mclean

The story goes like this when a person walked into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an old coin that he won in poker in a special plastic case. The coin case couldn't be opened easily and showed that experts from the Numismatic Guaranty Company, NGC, had checked and approved it.

Rick Harrison, the famous businessman from Pawn Stars, was shocked and at the same time enthralled when he saw the valuable coin. As soon as he saw he called it "one of the holy grails of American coins". Proof coins are some of the first copies made whenever any design comes and preserved for keeping a record.

This special coin was a high-quality proof called a Peace Dollar and only a few copies of this precious coin were ever found, making them prized possessions for collectors and Rick Harrison was one of them. He was so stunned that he asked his friend Dave an NGC grader, to be sure before paying and buying the coin. His friend assured him that the coin was real and he provided the coin's estimated value to be somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000. This whole story was known to Rick whereas the man who came in with the coin was unaware and wanted $20,000 out of it. But after a few negotiations, Harrison bought the coin for $80,000.

Pexels|Photo by Kindel Media
Unexpected wins are the best|Pexels|Photo by Kindel Media

Old coins were not of that much craze in ancient times but people today are getting interested in having a huge collection of coins from different centuries. Pawn shops and numismatists (coin experts) knew deep down that some coins are extremely valuable. People are also aware that the ancient coins and the coins they use in everyday life can be of huge worth. Some pretty rare coins used even before World War times are found with some people and they have preserved them as souvenirs from their ancestors.

There are many instances in which people find valuable coins in unusual places. In one instance, a worker at a store found a special penny in the cash register, and when he got to know it had cost more than $4,000.  Pennies could be rare without having symbolic pictures which people mistake and feel is of no use but they could be worth a fortune sometimes.

Why are people so crazy for collecting ancient coins|Pexels|Photo by Pixabay
Why are people so crazy for collecting ancient coins|Pexels|Photo by Pixabay

There's a really old American coin that's 300 years old and was sold for over $13,000 just because it had a pretty weird design and people found it fascinating. Collectors and hobbyists are starting to learn the importance of coins and history from experts, and some of the ancient items are selling for really high prices.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The guitar had been used for several iconic recordings with legendary musicians.
2 hours ago
Gbenga Akinnagbe was shocked to find out that his item was an art piece from the famous Titus Kaphar.
4 hours ago
While the contestant didn't mean to be suggestive Harvey just couldn't help taking it that way.
5 hours ago
The TikTok creator claimed that it lacked a very important nutrient people sought from chicken.
6 hours ago
While Harrison really wanted the rare treasure, he just couldn't take a chance with such a high price tag.
1 day ago
The issue triggered speculation on social media, with many questioning Walmart's product quality.
1 day ago
The rising star of the show's Prime Video spinoff could take over as the full time host.
3 days ago
Rick who couldn't tell the difference between Pokemon and Charizard lost out on a deal of a life.
3 days ago
The guest later happily gave it away for free to a Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame collection.
3 days ago
The guest had stumbled into the rare artifact online and didn't have to shell out a lot for it.
4 days ago
Jennings answered the question that was making the rounds on social media for quite some time.
4 days ago
While her letter picks gave her just one clue, Angie nailed the final puzzle in seconds.
5 days ago
While the player wasn't too bothered with the loss, fans didn't seem to let it go.
5 days ago
This wasn't the first time that a contestant made a fool of himself on the show.
6 days ago
Even the stingy star of the show, Rick Harrison couldn't resist paying top dollar for the item.
6 days ago
Kevin O'Leary's deal did offer more capital but didn't align with Strauss's goals.
7 days ago
Harvey was waiting for a long time for someone to give that answer.
Apr 18, 2025
All the guest could say was, "I am never going to be able to talk to my wife again."
Apr 17, 2025
The TikTok creator claimed that the brand is trying to gain attention, but some viewers disagree.
Apr 16, 2025
Harris made a last ditch attempt for the 'Holy Grail' item but it didn't go as he expected it to.
Apr 16, 2025