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Even the most mundane of Monopoly sets contains over $20,000 in fake money -- but this custom-made, jewel-encrusted one-off is estimated to be worth over $2 million, and it’s headed, appropriately enough, for Wall Street.
San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell created the set in the 1980s after he heard about a Monopoly tournament taking place in London. It took a year to complete, and it’s only been played once, in an exhibition game between Mobell and former British Prime Minister Edward Heath. Mobell donated it to the Smithsonian in 2003.
According to the Wall St. Journal, 84-year-old Mobell has made his career crafting bizarre, decadent objets d'art.
"He’s made diamond-encrusted yo-yos and mousetraps, as well as solid gold sardine cans, cellphonesand eyeballs," the Journal reports. "Not to mention a gold toilet seat and garbage cans, long before John Thain’s $35,000 commode made headlines. And Monopoly is not his only contribution to the rarefied world of lavish board games: Mobell has also made bejeweled backgammon, dominos and chess sets."
Why’s his Monopoly set so expensive? It’s made from 18-karat gold, for starters, and the bling-heavy board is decorated with 165 gems. The two dice are worth $10,000 (don’t lose one under the couch, whatever you do), and boast 42 diamonds for the number pips. The Chance and Community Chest cards are photo-etched sheets.
If you want to see it for yourself, it’s going on display this week at the Museum of American Finance in New York City. And according to Mobell, it’s not for sale.
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it be a shame to play with something so nice and valuable