# Did Columbo make a mistake? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 7, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793 "2006-05-07T19:53:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/21 "2006-05-10T02:46:41Z")
**10 u us** The correct term is not “heavier” but “denser”. (Actually, the proper wording would be ‘What has a higher specific gravity than gold?’) See posting #15. By the way, did anyone try the problem at the end of posting #15? Also, I remember the Columbo episodes very well. (I was always quite the Columbo fan). ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/22 "2006-05-10T02:51:10Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] Why isn’t the sneaker at least in a bag or something, and why are you carrying it around town?[/hijack] [/QUOTE] Hey it happens in actual investigations. One of the detectives, not Mark Furman, in the murder investigation of OJ’s wife kept the DNA collection swatches overnight in the trunk of his car. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/23 "2006-05-10T03:03:30Z")
\ > [@wolf\_meister](#): > > By the way, are there any gold coins minted anywhere that weigh one pound? > Gold is going at a rate of about $680/ounce and so those one pound gold coins would be worth almost 11,000 !!! [nitpick] Closer to $9000. Gold is measured in troy ounces - only 13 to the pound vice 16. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/24 "2006-05-10T03:10:44Z")
[QUOTE=Rhubarb] \ [nitpick] Closer to $9000. Gold is measured in troy ounces - only 13 to the pound vice 16. [/nitpick] [/QUOTE] I don’t know if Columbo made a mistake, but **Rhubarb** did :o. According to Google 1 pound = 14.5833333 troy ounces. So the value would be a shade under $10,000, ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/25 "2006-05-10T03:28:06Z")
It’s funny this would be the episode you mention, as even though I didn’t know it was on the Hallmark Channel, I had just pulled the old VHS copy I had off the shelf to watch a couple weeks ago. (I wanted to see who Howard McGillin played.) ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/26 "2006-05-10T03:48:19Z")
[QUOTE=wolf\_meister] **10 u us** Also, I remember the Columbo episodes very well. (I was always quite the Columbo fan). [/QUOTE] That’s cool. I might remember them better, but I was only ten years old when this episode first aired. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2006, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793/27 "2006-05-10T04:26:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I don’t know if Columbo made a mistake, but Rhubarb did . According to Google 1 pound = 14.5833333 troy ounces. So the value would be a shade under $10,000, And it’s also measured in troy pounds, which are exactly 12 (not 13 or 16 or 14.583…) troy ounces. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-columbo-make-a-mistake/355793.md?page=1)