Additional Coverage:
- ‘Pawn Stars’ boss Rick Harrison gets excited about 16th century cannon — but there was one problem (marketrealist.com)
Rick Harrison’s Cannon Dreams Go Bust: A ‘Pawn Stars’ Tale of Ancient Forgery
When it comes to high-stakes haggling on “Pawn Stars,” Gold & Silver Pawn Shop boss Rick Harrison is known for his poker face and discerning eye. It’s rare to see him truly thrilled by an item, but a recent visit from a familiar seller, who once offloaded an iconic Civil War pistol for a cool $10,000, promised to be different. This time, the guest brought in what looked like a genuine 16th-century cannon, and for a moment, Rick’s excitement was palpable.
The seller, hoping for a payday between $2,500 and $3,000, explained he’d snagged the cannon at an auction. Adorned with intricate engravings, including what Rick deciphered as the year 1517 in Roman numerals, the piece seemed like a historical treasure.
A 500-year-old cannon? That’s the stuff pawn shop dreams are made of!
However, Rick’s seasoned instincts soon kicked in, raising a few red flags. Cannons from that era rarely bore dates, and for a piece of its size, it almost certainly would have been a naval cannon.
Yet, it showed none of the battle scars or wear and tear expected from centuries at sea. Something just didn’t add up.
Time to call in the big guns – or rather, the big brain.
Enter Mark Hall-Patton, administrator of the Clark County Museum and affectionately known to “Pawn Stars” fans as ‘the beard of knowledge.’ Hall-Patton quickly identified the cannon’s engravings as Spanish, noting their historical use of naval artillery.
But the real test came when he asked to measure the cannon’s thickness. With an antique sword serving as an impromptu ruler, the expert quickly determined the cannon’s backside was far too thin to have ever been operational on a Spanish vessel.
The truth continued to unravel. Hall-Patton pointed out that the images etched onto the cannon didn’t align with 16th-century aesthetics.
Furthermore, authentic cannons from that period featured trunnions (the cylindrical projections used for mounting) welded seamlessly into the body, not added on afterward, as was the case with this piece. The verdict was in: the impressive cannon was, in fact, a reproduction.
Needless to say, Rick didn’t make a deal that day. But like any good entrepreneur, the seller took the news in stride, recognizing that sometimes, the best move is simply to move on. Another episode, another lesson learned in the fascinating, sometimes frustrating, world of historical artifacts.