What is the origin of the pawn shop logo of three balls?

Senior Moments

The universal symbol of pawnbroking is three gold balls and is one of the most recognized in the world. The Medici families in Italy along with the Lombards in England were moneylenders in Europe. Lengend has it that one of the Medicis in the employ of Emperor Charles the Great fought a giant and slew him with three sacks of rocks. The three balls or globes later became part of their family crest, and ultimately, the sign of pawnbroking. May 22 03, 11:56 PM

Create a Free FunTrivia ID to add to, request more/new answers, or edit this entry

Is there really a Knockin Shop? What are rayon balls? What US city passed a law making it illegal to pawn your dentures? In the lottery there are 49 balls. How many different combinations are there of a drawing of 6 balls?

1 Balls! As any regular listeners of the BBC radio comedy "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue" will surely agree, one of the truly great and defining rounds is the Balls. British Radio Very Difficult 5 Q Wibble Nov 24 03 444 plays 2 Balls Don't be fooled by the title! Balls apply to many things, so let's see what bounces in this quiz. Thematic 10Q Average Average 10 Q funnytrivianna May 12 08 1398 plays 3 Origin Here is a quiz based on the European release of the album in 2003. Good luck! Evanescence Average 20 Q catwoman2004 Apr 29 05 354 plays