This week on Pawn Stars the guys come across some Japanese animatronics and a 14th century chinese bank note.
The animatronic monkey representing the ancient proverb hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil.
Various forms of these are seen all over the world in all sorts of forms, but their popularity originates from Japan where they are named as Mizaru (sees no evil), Kikazaru (hears no evil) and Iwazaru ( speaks no evil).
Also in this episode, Rick sticks his nose into an antique oil barrel and a painting that reveals some interesting gossip about Glenn Ford’s and Marilyn Monroe.
Amazingly, the oldest type of bank note in the world makes an appearance in the form of a Chinese Ming Dynasty Kuan banknote, these 14th century notes can go for $75,000.
It is thought the Chinese started using paper money way back in the 7th century, but none of these survived. They called it the flying money, due its lightness and the notes were printed on
That any survived is remarkable and one story tells that in Peking around 1900 some European soldiers had smashed up a statue. In the pedestal they found a bunch of gems and jewellery.
Mixed in were bundles of the notes, they had no value to the troops who were happy to hand them over to a U.S. Army Surgeon, who later gave some to a Chinese museum in Shanghai.
Catch Pawn Stars – Pawn No Evil tonight 10/9c on History.