Pawnbroking Trivia

Pawnbroking History

As mankind's oldest financial institution, pawnbroking carries on a tradition with a rich history. Pawnbroking can be traced back at least 3,000 years to ancient China, and has been found in the earliest written histories of Greek and Roman civilizations.

Historical Facts and Legends

Guitar legend Jimmy Hendrix purchased his first guitar in a local pawnshop.

The Hope Diamond, one of the world's most famous and valuable diamonds spent some time in a pawnbrokers vault.

Queen Isabella of Spain offered to pawn her crown jewels to finance Columbus' voyage to America.

The Nursery Rhyme "Pop Goes The Weasel" refers to pawning. A weasel is a shoemaker's tool and to "pop" is to pawn. "That's the way the money goes... Pop goes the weasel."

The word pawn originates from the Latin word "patinum" which means cloth or clothing. The French word "pan" refers to a skirt or blouse. In the early centuries, the principle assets people had were their clothes and borrowed money by pawning their clothing.

The universal symbol of pawnbroking is three gold balls and is one of the most easily recognized in the world. The Medici families in Italy along with the Lombards in England were moneylenders in Europe. Legend has it that one of the Medicis in the employ of Emperor Charles the Great fought a giant and slew him with three sacks of rocks. The three balls or globes later became part of their family crest, and ultimately, the sign of pawnbroking.