'Pawn Stars' boss Rick Harrison pays $100,000 for 'holy grail' item signed by Abraham Lincoln

Rick Harrison may seem stingy, but he doesn't shy away from crossing into six figures when an item linked to American presidents turns up on "Pawn Stars." Several pieces of American History have appeared on Harrison's Pawn Shop, but few come close to an Abraham Lincoln Signed Parlor Card. When the rare item landed on Harrison's doorstep, he could barely believe his eyes. It was so important for him to have it that he forked up $100,000 for it.

In the episode, the owner of the card, Greg, shared that he collects Lincoln memorabilia, and he bought the parlor card at an estate sale more than a decade ago. He explained that the parlor card featured a Lincoln signature under the portrait of the former president that appears on the penny. "I've only heard stories of these existing," Harrison exclaimed as he looked at the card. He then went on to explain that parlor cards rose to popularity at a time when photographs were considered high-tech. "It became really popular to get like the President or maybe a famous writer or something and people would them at their parlor in a glass case and it showed they were sophisticated," Harrison added.

Greg added that the portrait was done by legendary photojournalist Mathew Brady, which made it an even rarer find. "I guess I'm still in shock that you brought this in here. I didn't know that it existed in private hands," Harrison exclaimed before asking the owner for the price of the item. Greg confidently told Harrison that he wanted $100,000 for the piece, and for the first time, the pawn shop boss agreed that what the guest asked for was a fair price.

However, to make sure it was the real deal, Harrison called in his expert, Stuart Lutz, to check out the card. "I'm just in shock. Here is like the Holy Grail," Harrison told Lutz as he walked in. The expert noted that the Lincoln parlor card could be special for two reasons. One was that the picture was taken by Matthew Brady, who was the most famous American photographer at the time, and the second was that the portrait was later used to create the image of Lincoln on the penny.

After cross-referencing the signature with other authentic documents, Lutz confirmed that it was the real deal. Coming to the appraisal, he said, "In a high-end retail gallery setting, you probably put a price of $150,000. It's worth even more, probably." He went on to add that for a collector of presidential items, having a signed photograph of Abraham Lincoln is the ultimate thing. "It's a great piece of American history. It's the top of the collecting pyramid," Lutz added.

Once the expert left, Harrison got down to negotiating. However, after hearing the appraisal, Greg tweaked his asking price to $120,000. "I'll make this really really simple for you. I'll give you a hundred grand, I won't go a penny more," Harrison said in response. After a little back and forth, Greg accepted, and they made a deal.

"Wow! This thing is nice," Harrison exclaimed in the end as he got one of the Holy Grails of American history.