Here is some Pawn Shop math for you.
💲💲💲💲
The melted bar of gold is worth $24,000. As part of a ship wreck, its retail or potential auction value is $48,000. Rick paid $35,000 for it, and will tag it for sale in his store at $48,000. That means the low wholesale price for it is $35,000.
💲💲💲💲
As a Pawn Shop discount store, he will negotiate the price with a buyer. I bet that he is willing to negotiate down to $40,000, which hence determines that price as the low retail price of the gold.