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  • - I got something here I think you'll really enjoy seeing.

  • - OK. - It's a very old Viking coin.

  • It was found in England.

  • RICK: That's cool.

  • And why do you call it a Viking coin?

  • Because it was used by the Vikings.

  • RICK: They were a really odd culture because they really

  • didn't care about taking land.

  • It was all about let's get in a boat, let's cruise

  • somewhere and just take everything they got.

  • [laughter]

  • ART: I bought it when I was in England

  • in one of the country fairs.

  • It just looked interesting.

  • It's commonly called an English penny.

  • Since my grandkids don't want it,

  • I think somebody else might like to have it.

  • RICK: Generally they were just raiders.

  • OK?

  • It got to the point where they didn't

  • even have to invade anymore.

  • The Viking ships would pull into a harbor, the people

  • in the town-- they would take just out all the gold,

  • and silver, and everything else in the town,

  • bring it down to the harbor, and says, is this enough?

  • And then it got to a point where generally, yeah, we'll take it.

  • We'll leave.

  • And that is basically the way the Vikings

  • worked for a long time.

  • Let me take a look at it.

  • My big concern is there might be a few small clips on there.

  • But they're almost always cut up.

  • And this one's not cut up.

  • It was actually a profession.

  • People did this for a living.

  • They would constantly get coins, bring them home,

  • clip a little silver off, try to exchange

  • them for some other ones.

  • And before you know it, at the end of the month,

  • you had a big pile of silver.

  • Even though the Vikings did rule part of England at one time,

  • I'm not sure how a coin with English markings

  • can be considered Viking.

  • If a connection is there, I think

  • it might make it more valuable.

  • I'm just not sure.

  • What you want to do with it?

  • I want to sell it.

  • RICK: Well, how much do you want out of it?

  • - All I can get. - OK.

  • I mean, you want $50? - No.

  • No. No.

  • No.

  • I do have a guy who will probably know

  • a lot more about it than I do.

  • My big concern is you wouldn't believe how many of these

  • are faked.

  • There's no law against faking them.

  • Well, that's what these are for.

  • This is the provenance.

  • These aren't telling me anything.

  • Let me explain something to you.

  • If people figure out a way to fake something, they fake it.

  • Always have, always will.

  • So I'm gonna call a friend, get him down here.

  • He's gonna look at it.

  • If it's legit, we'll figure out a price,

  • and we'll maybe make a deal.

  • OK.

  • Well, it definitely is an old penny struck in England.

  • Dates to around 900 AD which is exactly when the Vikings were

  • in control of the whole area north of London

  • all the way up into Scotland after the invasions

  • of about 865.

  • RICK: All right.

  • DAVID VAGI: And this particular type

  • shows how the Vikings had adopted so many

  • aspects of Anglo-Saxon culture.

  • You notice the cross on one side.

  • That's a Christian symbol.

  • By the time this was struck, the Vikings, who were

  • now in England, had converted.

  • RICK: So you think it's 100% legit?

  • DAVID VAGI: You're both correct.

  • It is a Viking coin struck in England.

  • ART: Wow. - What's it worth?

  • Well, this may help.

  • Almost as interesting as the coin--

  • this coin is-- is pedigreed back to the 10th Duke of Argyle.

  • RICK: OK.

  • And when did he live?

  • DAVID VAGI: Well, he died in 1949.

  • RICK: OK.

  • DAVID VAGI: And about the last decade-- at least of his life--

  • he kind of devoted himself to his coins and his collections.

  • This would have been his ticket that he

  • wrote with his own hand.

  • So this is really interesting.

  • This coin is in really extraordinary shape.

  • And I don't see any good evidence of clipping.

  • So this coin was probably buried.

  • Totally genuine, nice pedigree.

  • I think it's probably worth $1,200.

  • Maybe a touch more. RICK: OK.

  • DAVID VAGI: It's a nice coin. - All right.

  • Thanks, man. - Hey, no problem.

  • Glad I could help. - Thank you.

  • - Congratulations. - Thank you.

  • DAVID VAGI: This particular coin is quite popular

  • because it demonstrates how the Vikings had become invested

  • into Anglo-Saxon culture which gives it a little more esteem

  • in the eyes of collectors.

  • RICK: So how much do you want for it?

  • Well, he said it's worth $1,200.

  • And I know you have to-- you know, this isn't free.

  • So how about $1,000?

  • That gives you some room.

  • And it is a super specimen. - It's cool.

  • I'll give you that.

  • How about $700?

  • I can't do $700.

  • Would you go $800?

  • Yeah.

  • I'll do $800.

  • - Sounds good. - All right.

  • It's a deal.

  • I'll meet you right up there.

  • All right.

  • I think $800 is a right price for that coin.

  • I'm gonna take that $800, and I'll find a place for it

  • here in Las Vegas.

- I got something here I think you'll really enjoy seeing.

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