Does The Quebec Taken Medal From Pawn Stars Have Any Real Value?

Valuable coinage is a world of change — literally. One recent episode of "Pawn Stars" perfectly illustrates this fact. A customer came in seeking compensation for a somewhat rare find. The coin in question was a Quebec Taken Medal. Negotiations came to a halt when Austin Russell, more commonly referred to as Chumlee, seemingly underbid the item. He offered $1,250 in exchange for the near-mint condition coin. But for the Taken Medal's owner, this seemed a trifling token and turned down the offer (via YouTube).

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The customer believed the piece was worth at least $1,500. As a point of reference, the highest valued coin to feature on "Pawn Stars" was the 1922 Proof Piece High Relief Dollar which was purchased for $80,000 and has since been appraised at a value upward of $100,000 (via The Wealthy Adventurer). The most expensive medal featured on the show belonged to Olympian Jumpin' Joe Greene. It boasts an estimated $30,000 value. Comparatively speaking, the customer's asking price seems reasonable, but what value does the Quebec Taken Medal truly hold?

Chumlee's offer was reasonable

According to Britannica, the Battle of Quebec was a short-lived scuffle in the long-fought Seven Years War. However, it did mark a turning point, cementing Britain's stronghold over New France and removing North American power from the region. Some historians claim it is the main reason Canada as we know it even exists. Without the Battle of Quebec, modern maps and territories would look drastically different from what we see today. As a token of appreciation, surviving soldiers were awarded the Quebec Taken Medal. There could have been as many as 4,500 surviving soldiers on the victorious side in total.

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Under the circumstances, this means it is likely that 262 years ago, thousands of such medals were in existence. In fact, Live Auctioneers reports that one such medal sold for approximately $550, making Chumlee's offer, which more than doubles that price, extremely reasonable. Given the background, one could say this coin is rich in history. Too bad history doesn't pay the bills.

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