Founded in Bristol in 1986 as a pawnbroking service, the main part of our business remains the issue of loans against the security of gold jewellery and diamonds
History of Pawnbroking
Pawnbroking - lending cash against collateral - has existed for thousands of years as a means of raising money for both personal and business use.
The word pawn originates from the Latin word for clothing, in former times given as surety. 500 years ago Queen Isabella of Spain pawned some of the Spanish crown jewels to finance Christopher Columbus on his voyage of discovery which landed in America.
The universal three golden balls symbol of pawnbroking is taken from the arms of the great Medici banking family of Italy. One of the Medicis in the employ of Emperor Charles the Great fought and slew a giant with three rocks. The three rocks, balls, or globes became part of the Medici crest. Ordinary people, as well as many renowned artists, authors and actors, have used pawnbrokers as bankers and sources of loans.
The traditional nursery rhyme Pop Goes The Weasel was originally a London street song telling of the cash flow problems that could beset the working man. A weasel is a hatter's dummy and to pop is to pawn.
Half a pound of tupenny (twopenny) rice,
Half a pound of treacle,
That's the way the money goes...
Pop goes the weasel.