The Legendary Origins of the Pawnbroker Symbol

The Least Known Legend. One of the least known origins that has been researched is the coin known as the "Silver Shekel" or "Shekel of Israel" which was issued in A.D. 68 after a Jewish revolt against the Romans. One side of the coin depicted three pomegranates, with a common stalk.

The Traditional Legend of the Three Balls. The symbol of the three balls was part of the coat of arms of the Medici family, who established the Medici trading and banking empire in Florence, Italy. The Medicis were a 15th century Italian family of bankers and lenders, with considerable fame and fortune. They became so well known in the finance and lending profession that the other lenders, wanting to share in their success, adopted similar coats of arms, signs, shields and symbols, with three golden balls being the most popular. Once other merchants involved in monetary dealing adopted the three golden balls as their symbol, the three balls came to symbolize the entire profession founded on the ethic of mutual trust.

Throughout the Middle ages you can find many coats of arms bearing three balls, orbs, plates, disks, coins, and more as symbolic of monetary success.

When Italian bankers began to open branches abroad, the symbol of the three golden balls spread to the European West. It is known that there was pawnbroking in Spain because Queen Isabella pawned some of her royal jewels to finance Columbus' long voyage to the New World. I wonder if the pawnbroker who made that loan knew just what he was starting?

The symbol of the three golden balls was brought to the United States from England, where pawnbrokers still display the symbol to this day.

Saint Nicholas and his Three Gifts of Gold. The figure of Saint Nicholas is a legend from the Orthodox Russian Church. He was said to be very kind to the poor. Click here for the rest of the story.