The reality TV show Pawn Stars has been going on for 14 seasons and has spawned many spin-offs and imitators, all marks of a product people love. The cast is certainly likable and their interactions fun, but one of the main reasons viewers keep coming back are the astonishing discoveries made on the show. A coin collection sold to cover the costs of a non-affordable divorce turns out to contain pirate treasure and old-timey pictures turn out to be an important (and expensive) chapter of the history of American photography! But danger and fraud are lurking so beware! You won't believe the amazing deals the Pawn Stars have come across and the huge mistakes they have made!

A Ship's Bell That Almost Became Scrap - $15,000

A woman owned an old bell, God knows how. It was a useless piece of metal and she thought of putting it up for a yard sale or selling it for scrap but just in case, she took it to the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. The Harrisons brought in an expert who determined that it was a ship's bell from the early 17th century, worth a hefty $15K! Just a reminder that not all gold is shiny!

An Inheritance Of A 1715 Spanish Gold Coin - $18,000

Judy's inheritance included this gold coin and though she suspected it was worth something (it was gold, after all), she had no idea how much. It was found to be part of a Spanish shipwreck from the 18th century when a fleet carrying more than 14 million pesos in gold and silver coins sunk in the Caribbean. So apart from being worth its weight in gold (literally), it also had a price tag influenced by history, going for a total of $18,000!

The Guitar That Played The Original James Bond Theme - $55,000

Not many know Vic Flick, a British guitarist from the '60s, but almost everyone recognizes the original James Bond theme song. So, when Vic offered to sell the guitar used to record that song, the Pawn Stars crew was interested. Thinking it as a good investment, considering the historic value of the instrument, Rick paid $55,000 for this 1961 Fender Stratocaster, much more than what these guitars go for. Unfortunately, when it went up for auction, Rick ended up losing a lot of money as it went nowhere near what he had paid.

President John F. Kennedy's Humidor & Cigars - $575,000

When a man entered the Pawn Stars shop holding a humidor, nobody knew how important it was. The box was the property of John F. Kennedy, had sat in the Oval Office and even had a couple of his cigars still in it! The owner knew he had gold in his hands and asked for $95K but Rick and his sweet-talking got him to lower his price to $65,000. It was nonetheless a great investment for the Pawn Stars boss as the last time a JFK humidor was auctioned, it sold for $575K, back in 1996!

Rare Edward Curtis Photogravures Of The Old West - $20,000

Sometimes, the things that you wouldn't pay attention to may be hugely important. A woman sold a collection of old photogravures (a type of old photos) to the shop for just $50, probably thinking she got a good deal. The truth was, these were made by the famous (in photography circles, at least) Edward Curtis, making them quite valuable. They eventually sold for $20,000; 400 times the money they paid to acquire them! Seriously, do some research before selling anything!

Fake "Shoeless" Joe Jackson Autograph - $13,000

Sometimes, even the professionals get careless or greedy and they are fooled like everyone else. When someone offered Rick Harrison a rare autograph of the baseball legend “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, he got so excited that he bought it fast, without first consulting any of his usual experts. The result was a $13,000 loss, a worthless, fake signature and an important lesson in not making a purchase before verification.

Limited Edition 2014 Hertz Penske GT Mustang - $60,000

There are many variants of the Ford Mustang and some of them can be quite rare. One of the rare editions was the Ford Hertz Penske Mustang GT, with only 150 copies. Made in 2013, they are not yet considered a must-have for muscle-car aficionados but thinking forward, Rick bought it for $60,000. With its excellent quality and limited numbers, the car is an investment that will only increase in value as time passes.

Jumpin' Joe Green's Olympic Medals - $30,000

Jumpin' Joe Green could have been a legend of US track sports but despite two Olympic bronze medals, his luck betrayed him. An illness cut his sports career short and in short succession, a divorce and a business lawsuit led him to bankruptcy. Eventually, he was forced to visit the Harrison pawn shop and sell his medals. They promised not to sell them and they have been on display ever since, despite an estimated price of $30K!

Stolen Diamond Earrings - $40,000

As buying and selling stolen property is a serious offense, when a man walked into the Pawn Stars shop offering to sell a pair of diamond earrings, they did all they could to establish they were legit. Where were they purchased from, did he have a receipt, things like that. Everything checked out so Rick agreed to buy them for $40K, which seemed like a good deal, only to discover one day later that the jewelry was stolen. The criminal's arrest was a moral victory but did nothing to recover the money Rick had paid him.

Russian Empire's Order of the White Eagle Medal - $30,000

Here’s your classic story of a “garage sale find.” One lucky man bought a colorful medal for $.75 at a yard sale. When the man brought the medallion into the shop, Rick had a hunch and actually bought the item for $6,000. When an expert appraised the medal, they discovered it dated back to the Tsarist occupation of Poland. While Rick paid a big price for it, he multiplied his profit by five, selling the Order of the White Eagle Medallion for $30,000.

1915 Panama Canal Commemorative Gold Coin - $67,500

In this case, instead of the valuable object coming into the pawn shop, the Pawn Stars crew had to go looking for it. Offered $70K to find a 1915 Panama-Pacific Commemorative Coin, the gold, octagonal $50 piece, Rick Harisson flew to a huge coin auction and started bidding. He managed to get two of the coins and sold the one for $67,500 to the customer who had kicked off the coin hunt.

Counterfeit 19th Century Wells Fargo Strong Box - $450

Running a pawn shop is sort of like gambling. When someone offers something, you must make a guess on its value and potential. Rick decided to put $450 on such a gamble when he bought what he thought was a 19th-century strongbox by the Wells Fargo bank. Not only are these antiques valuable on their own, who knows what could be in them? But, it only got him an “I knew you were getting duped” by his father, Old Man Harrison, as the box turned out to be a fake. More money down the drain.

200 Pounds of Pure Silver - $111,000

Years ago, someone thought that silver would be a good investment and started buying quantities of the precious metal. When he decided to sell, the Harrison family bought it from him and gave him $111K, a huge sum compared to the Pawn Stars average. The business-minded TV stars use the silver to mint commemorative coins (or medals, as they're not real money) with the face of The Old Man Harrison on them. The way their merchandise sells, they'll be making a profit in no time.

1932 Custom Ford Roadster - $68,250

Most antique cars from the '30s are either in a bad shape or really pricey, so when this 1932 Custom Ford was shown to Rick Harrison, he decided that he must own it. In almost perfect condition, with only 450 miles on it, this marvel of car technology was too good to miss out on. His negotiating skills, so often showcased on Pawn Stars, came in pretty handy as he managed to talk the seller down to $68,250, though whether it was bought as an investment or as a collectible, we couldn't tell.

5th Edition Book of Mormon - $40,000

If you have some old, musty-looking books in your library, why not have them appraised, just in case? A customer walked into the Pawn Stars shop with a copy of the Book of Mormon, that ended up earning him a nice $24,000! Of course, it also happened to be a 5th edition copy, printed in 1842, with an estimated auction price around $40K, so it wasn't exactly last year's almanac but still, perhaps grandpa's books may be worth something after all.

1500's Spanish Gold Bar - $35,000

So, this one looks simple. A solid gold bar was found to be expensive. No surprise there. What was amazing was that the gold bar, taken to a specialist for an appraisal, was determined to come from a Spanish wreck off the coast of Texas, which sunk in the middle of the 16th century. So, on top of its price as a bar of gold, the historical significance adds value to almost $50,000! The Pawn Stars got it for $35K, which should leave them with a nice profit margin.

Very Rare 1922 Proof Peace High Relief Dollar - $80,000

A customer came into the pawn shop with a 1922 Proof Peace High Relief Dollar, a rare coin that he estimated to be worth around $20K. Further research by a numismatic expert showed that the coin was one of only a dozen in existence and its actual price was more like $100K! The Pawn Stars talked him down to $80,000 but considering he had won the coin in a poker game, he couldn't lose. Talk about winning big!

2001 Patriots Super Bowl Champion Ring - $30,000

The Pawn Stars have often been accused that they fleece people, paying them peanuts for valuable stuff. This 2001 Patriots Super Bowl Ring got into the hands of Rick Harrison for just $2,600. His huge smile wearing it is understandable as the ring is both a cool piece of Americana and a valuable item as well, usually auctioned for about $30,000! So, not only did he get a Super Bowl Ring, he also will make a lot of money. Why not smile?

Stills' 1941 Gibson SJ-200 Guitar - $85,000

The Pawn Stars didn't need a lot of experience to realize what a prize they had when a man walked in the store with a 1941 Gibson Sj-200Guitar and a bill of sale that marked it as owned by Stills, of Crosby, Stills, and Nash fame! The owner wanted $100,000 at first but with some shrewd negotiations, they lowered that to “only” $85,000! It doesn't matter anyway, as the price of the guitar can only go up, so it's a good investment for the Harrisons.

Mint Condition 1932 Lincoln Roadster - $100,000

A luxury car from the '30s in mint condition, not to mention a V-12 engine with 150 HP, was bound to be expensive. And this 1932 Lincoln Roadster did not disappoint, as the Pawn Stars had to fork over almost $100,000 to purchase it. But seriously, who could argue that this piece of jewelry in car form was not a good investment for their money? The only way this beauty is depreciating is if Chumlee has another accident!

Mary Ford's 1961 Gibson SG Les Paul Custom - $90,000

When someone asks for a quarter of a million dollars for a guitar, either they are a mental health patient or the guitar is really unique. This 1961 Gibson Les Paul was owned by Mary Ford, Les Paul's wife and as such, a part of the history of American music. Still, the Pawn Stars were not new in the business so, though impressed, they talked the owners down to a more manageable $90,000, Even in this price range, we couldn't afford that no matter how many loans and mortgages we took, so we'll pass on buying this one.

Fake Diamonds & Cubic Zirconia - $30,000

Richard “The Old Man” Harrison has spoken about how diamonds have caused the pawn shop problems in the past. Fake diamonds did not often fool experienced pawnbrokers until cubic zirconias appeared on the market. Those are indistinguishable from diamonds, with the main sign they are fake being that they are “too perfect”, as “Big Hoss” Corey has explained. Before he wised up, the Old Man lost nearly $30,000 buying worthless fake diamonds.

Jimi Hendrix's '63 Olympic White Fender Stratocaster - $1,000,000

Though the Pawn Stars love guitars and have made some good deals with them, this case was a big miss for them. A man walked through the doors with what proved to be an original '63 Olympic White Fender Stratocaster that belonged to the legendary musician Jimi Hendrix! Estimated at $1,000,000 if put up for auction, Rick tried to talk the seller into accepting just $450,000. He raised to $600,000 but by then it was too late, the customer left and the historic guitar was gone.

1895 No. 3 Gold Piece - $2,650

The price of an old coin varies a lot and is relative to many factors, like rarity, condition, aesthetics and other, obscure things noticed by specialists. The Pawn Stars shop has an 1859 $3 gold coin that is probably the most expensive one they own. It has sold in various auctions anything from $2,000 to $7,000, but the Harrison property is worth an estimated $2,650. But although it is the most valuable, it is not the oldest coin they have. That honor goes to...

325 BCE Ancient Greek Didrachm - $700

There are many old items in the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, but few are older than the oldest coin in their collection. It is an ancient Greek “didrachm”, meaning two drachmas, dating back to approximately 325 BCE. Just thinking about the journey through space and time this coin took to reach modern Las Vegas is humbling and it is one more thing that confirms the almost magical nature of the shop – you never know what you'll find in there!