New York Museum of American Finance Unveils 18-Karat Gold Monopoly Set

Monopoly, the classic real estate game you remember from your childhood, costs about $20 and comes with $15,000 in brightly colored paper play money. But even if all that cash were real, it would still not be nearly enough to buy this special one-of-a-kind gold and diamond Monopoly set, recently put on display at the Museum of American Finance.

The museum, a New York institution near Wall Street, is displaying the blinged-out version of the classic board game on loan from Sidney Mobell, an artist and jewelry designer. Mobell, a San Francisco native, has made many artworks that reworks everyday household items with precious stones and metals, with dazzling results.

Museum president David Cowan sees the diamond - encrusted board game as more than just a glamorous take on a classic. “The game is symbolic to America and was popularized during the difficult economic times of the Depression,” Cowan explained to the NY Daily News. “We again face difficult economic times and this incredibly valuable item will bring joy to our many visitors.

Although the visitors will no doubt get a thrill just from seeing this over-the-top deluxe edition of Monopoly, this will not be a hands-on exhibit. Only one game of Monopoly was ever played on the 18-karat gold board, between the artist and the former Prime Minister of England. The entire board and game set is valued at over $2 million. Even the dice are unbelievably extravagant: they are set with 42 high-quality diamonds for the number dots and are said to be worth over $10,000.

No word on whether the Monopoly money is real, though.