Ep 5. Napoleon Bonapawn

In Pawn Stars season 12 episode 5, titled Napoleon Bonapawn, the team at the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop get their hands on a unique piece of history. A customer brings in what they believe is a letter written by Napoleon Bonaparte himself during his exile on Saint Helena. The document includes Napoleon's signature, along with the royal stamp of France.

Rick Harrison, the owner of the pawn shop, is intrigued by the potential value of the document, but is also skeptical of its authenticity. To verify that it is indeed Napoleon's handwriting, he calls in Rebecca Romney, an expert in historical documents and rare books.

Rebecca carefully examines the letter and notes several discrepancies that lead her to believe that it may not be genuine. She notes that the watermark on the paper is incorrect for the time period and that there are inconsistencies in the ink used. As much as Rick would like to believe that he has a piece of history in his possession, he ultimately decides not to take the risk and passes on the letter.

Meanwhile, Chumlee, one of the employees at the pawn shop, takes an interest in a vintage animatronic fortune teller machine. The machine, which is from the 1950s, features a gypsy fortune teller who moves her arms and head while dispensing fortunes. Chumlee wants to restore the machine to its former glory, so he enlists the help of a professional restoration expert.

The restoration expert takes apart the machine and cleans all its parts before reassembling it. He also replaces some of the missing or broken pieces and repaints the entire machine to give it a shiny new look. Once the restoration is complete, Chumlee can't wait to see the machine in action and puts it to the test. To his delight, the machine works perfectly and is ready to be displayed in the pawn shop.

In another part of the shop, a customer comes in with a collection of Playboy magazines from the 1960s - 1980s. The collection includes some rare first edition copies, including those featuring Marilyn Monroe and Pamela Anderson. The customer is hoping to sell the entire collection as a set, but Rick and Corey Harrison, Rick's son and fellow pawn shop employee, are hesitant to make an offer.

The team decides to call in a Playboy expert to value the collection and determine if it is worth purchasing. The expert examines the magazines and notes that some of the rare first edition copies are quite valuable. However, he also points out that the value of the collection as a whole is limited, since it is missing some key issues.

After considering the expert's evaluation, Rick and Corey make the customer an offer for the collection. The customer decides to take the offer, and Rick and Corey add the Playboy magazines to their inventory in the shop.

Overall, Napoleon Bonapawn is an exciting episode of Pawn Stars that showcases the variety of items that come through the doors of the World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop. Whether it's a potentially historical document, a vintage animatronic machine, or a Playboy magazine collection, the pawn shop employees are always on the lookout for unique and interesting items.