Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1907 — Sign of the Three Balls. [ARTICLE]

Sign of the Three Balls.

The origin of the pawnbrokers’ sign, tlie three golden balls, is accounted for by humor, legend and fact Some early English wit said the chances were two to one that the articles pledged would never be redeemed. On the other hand, they are ascribed to the good St. Nicholas. A nobleman, so the story goes, suddenly becoming poor, found himself unable to provide for the marriage of his three daughters. The news of his sad plight came to the ears of the saintly bishop, who immediately came to the rescue by placing three bags of .gold iu the nobleman's window at uigat. each bag containing a sufficient dowry for one maiden. The three purses accordingly became the emblem of St. Nicholas, and when the bankers of northern Italy took up the busiuess of lending money they appropriated it. etjpslderlng themselves good followers of the generous saint. The fact, however, seems to be that the three balls were taken from the lowef part of the coat of arms of the dukes of Medici, from whose dominions, the first money lenders emigrated to England. This explains why some of the ancient pawnbrokers used five blue balls, for the coat of arms in heraldic language Is described as five bezants asure.