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- ‘Pawn Stars’ boss Rick Harrison pays a fortune to buy fossilized dinosaur dung (marketrealist.com)
“Pawn Stars” Boss Rick Harrison Digs Up a Prehistoric Deal: A Dino-mite Purchase of Fossilized Dung
Rick Harrison, the renowned proprietor of Las Vegas’s Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, has seen his fair share of peculiar items pass through his doors. From historical relics to the truly bizarre, “Pawn Stars” often showcases the unexpected. But even for Harrison, a recent transaction involving fossilized dinosaur dung – or coprolite, as it’s scientifically known – stood out as particularly unique.
The unusual encounter began when a seller confidently walked in with two massive samples of what he claimed were ancient dino droppings. “Some people like to sit there and watch football,” the seller quipped, “I like to go out on the weekends and pick up dinosaur poop.”
He explained that his colossal finds originated from Central Wyoming and hoped to walk away with $3,200 for the pair. The material, surprisingly, is popular for crafting jewelry, a fact that piqued Harrison’s interest.
However, Harrison, ever the shrewd businessman, wasn’t about to take the seller’s word at face value. He pressed for details on how the seller distinguished his finds from ordinary quartz.
The explanation – “Just the varying colors,” suggesting different prehistoric meals – didn’t entirely convince the pawn shop boss. Skeptical but intrigued, Harrison knew he needed an expert opinion.
He called in the shop’s staff gemologist to examine the impressive rocks. The expert, visibly impressed by their sheer size, explained the science behind identifying coprolite.
“You’re only gonna see what it is now and not what it was 20 million years ago,” he stated, noting the presence of silica (quartz) and possibly calcite. The tell-tale signs, he revealed, were the unique “texture and shape,” specifically a rounded, “popcorn-like” quality.
Much to the seller’s relief and Harrison’s confirmation, the rocks indeed fit the description, verifying their authenticity as fossilized excrement.
With the material confirmed, the conversation shifted to its market value. The expert estimated the coprolite would fetch around $10 to $15 per pound, significantly less than the seller’s initial $40 per pound valuation.
Armed with this professional assessment, Harrison extended an offer of $1,000. After a bit of back-and-forth, a deal was struck at $1,100, securing Harrison a truly one-of-a-kind piece of prehistory.
While these massive samples likely won’t be displayed as museum specimens, they’ll be cut into smaller pieces, ready to be sold or transformed into unique jewelry.
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- ‘Pawn Stars’ boss Rick Harrison pays a fortune to buy fossilized dinosaur dung (marketrealist.com)