Antiques Roadshow teen’s jaw drops as he learns life-changing value of box wrapped in tablecloth by maid – as expert admits ‘I’ve never seen anything like it’
Another Antiques Roadshow guest was left speechless during an archived episode of the popular BBC show.
When the popular daytime series visited Caversham, a teenager struggled to get his words out after discovering a box of which was wrapped in ‘brown paper and a tablecloth’ was worth a five-figure sum.
Expert John Foster received a ‘mind-blowing’ stumpwork box as he explained: ‘Over the years we’ve seen a lot of stumpwork and needlework on the Roadshow, with stumpwork being the raised panel sections of this box.’
He continued: ‘You can date it quite easily to the time of Charles II, around 1675, because his image is at the top.
“How can something like this – because when we normally see it, it’s faded and torn – how can something survive in this state for so long?”
An Antiques Roadshow teenager’s jaw dropped when he learned the life-changing value of a box wrapped in a tablecloth by a cleaning lady on an archived episode of the popular daytime show
Expert John Foster was presented with a ‘stunning’ stumpwork box dating from around 1675
The young man explained where the box came from: ‘Well, it comes from Milton Manor in Oxfordshire, where I’m the guide and the house has been empty for 40 years.
‘And when the family decided to move back, a maid discovered this in one of the old servants’ bedrooms, wrapped in brown paper and a tablecloth.
“So she took it down and went ‘ta-dah!’
After analyzing the ancient artifacts, John concluded, “You could go on and on about this, like I said, it’s just stunning to see it like this.”
He then revealed the incredible sum the piece was worth, exclaiming: ‘It’s mind-boggling to see. I mean, this is museum quality at its best… So, value, at auction, easily £50,000 to £70,000.’
The teenager’s mouth fell open at its value, struggling to find words to express his feelings.
He joked: ‘Wow. Too bad it’s not mine, I can’t believe it came in our car and spent the night in our living room.’
John added: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it and I don’t think I’ll see it again for a long time.’
John revealed the incredible sum the piece was worth when he exclaimed: ‘It’s mind-boggling to see. I mean, this is museum quality at its best… So, value, at auction, easily £50,000 to £70,000’
He joked: ‘Wow. Too bad it’s not mine, I can’t believe it ended up in our car and spent the night in our living room’
In Sunday’s episode in Dundee, a guest was left speechless when expert Mark Smith met a man whose father was an SAS soldier and showed him his credentials, medals and badges, which are often ‘forged all over the world’.
The man showed a black and white photo of his father, David Cargill, before he was sent to France with the BEF.
Mark was impressed by the collection on the table and said: ‘You said to me this morning, ‘My father was a soldier’. Then you went and got this stuff and I got so excited because this man was in the SAS. This is fantastic.’
“We have a Territorial Medal here. He went to France and started his war by coming off a beach, somewhere called Dunkirk because he has the Dunkirk Medal too. Where did he join then?”
The guest replied: ‘He joined the Parachute Regiment, did his training and after he got his wings he immediately applied for the SAS and was accepted.’
Mark continued: ‘Now, when you see these badges and things that you have here and you see SAS wings, they are usually fake. You have a Kings Crown Parachute Regiment badge.
‘Even today they are hard to find and usually they are copied. You have two of the shoulder titles for the 1st SAS. Now I’m not sure I’ve ever seen those before, in person to touch them, but here they are.’
On Sunday’s episode of the show in Dundee, a guest was left speechless after expert Mark Smith met a man whose father was an SAS soldier, as he showed him his papers, medals and badges – which are often ‘forged all over the world’
The BBC star revealed that the medals alone are worth around £200, with the entire collection worth almost £8,000.
Mark was particularly impressed by the guest’s father’s beret. It had authentic details, such as the small emblem that he said was ‘forged all over the world’.
Mark adds: ‘These things just aren’t available on the market, so it’s fantastic to be able to stand here and touch the real thing!’
The BBC star estimated the value of the items as follows: the medals alone are worth around £200, while the entire collection is worth almost £8,000.
The guest was stunned by the appreciation and said to Mark, “My father would be very surprised.”