The history of pawnbroking can be traced back thousands of years. In fact, China, one of the oldest civilized cultures, has many historical references from as far back as 3000 years to the business of pawn broking. The earliest historical records of Greek and Roman cultures make mention of the trade as well. It is perhaps the second oldest profession in the world, but certainly the oldest financial profession. The word pawn originates from the latin word “platinum”, which means cloth or clothing, and the French word “pan”, which refers to a skirt or blouse. In the middle ages, pawns were made primarily on clothing, which in those times, represented the principle asset or item of most value an individual might possess with which to secure a loan. It is a historical fact that Queen Isabella of Spain pawned the royal jewels to finance Columbus’ voyage to the new world.