Additional Coverage:
- ‘Pawn Stars’ boss Rick Harrison comes across a mummified falcon and it’s worth a huge fortune (marketrealist.com)
Las Vegas pawn shop owner and reality TV star Rick Harrison has seen his share of historical oddities, but a recent episode of “Pawn Stars” featured an item even he found surprising: a mummified falcon.
Harrison immediately consulted expert Tom Lindgren, an archeologist and natural history consultant. Lindgren was visibly impressed by the mummified bird, explaining to Harrison and the seller its significance in ancient Egypt.
The falcon, Lindgren noted, represents the god Horus, with its right eye symbolizing the sun, its left the moon, and its wings representing heaven. He further elaborated on the religious significance of mummification in ancient Egyptian culture, describing it as a process meant to facilitate passage to the afterlife.
The seller explained that the falcon came from the estate sale of a collector of Egyptian artifacts. Aware of the prevalence of reproductions in the market, Lindgren carefully examined the mummy with a magnifying glass, paying close attention to the intricate geometric patterns of its wrapping.
Based on the wrapping style and sarcophagus (not shown), Lindgren dated the artifact to the Ptolemaic period, estimating its age to be between 2,500 and 2,600 years old. He expressed confidence in its authenticity, stating the details were too intricate to be easily replicated.
Lindgren declared it one of the finest mummified falcons he had encountered, valuing it between $10,000 and $12,000.
Whether Harrison ultimately purchased the mummified falcon remains undisclosed, but it certainly made for a fascinating episode of the popular show.