- 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.