A GOBSMACKED Antiques Roadshow expert asked ‘do the authorities know?!’ about a guest’s ‘controversial’ item.
In a recent episode of the BBC show, expert John Foster met a male guest who had brought in an item which left him in a state of excitement.
3
3
John said: “So when I saw this earlier, my heart literally skipped a beat. So, what are you doing with such a beautiful object?”
The man replied: “I found it metal detecting about 25 years ago.
“I was just walking back to the car and got a signal and dug it, and I thought it was actually a Roman statue until I cleaned it up.”
The item may have been tiny, but it had a big place in history and John was keen to know if the man had carried out the correct authentication processes.
He said: “Before we go any further, I presume you have done all of the correct paperwork and let the authorities know?”
The man confirmed it had been registered with York museum and added: “I think it’s at least 1st century, it’s a knife handle, I believe, a wax spatula knight handle.”
John said: “I’m going to be a bit controversial, because I agree yes, 1st, 2nd century AD, a couple of thousand years old.”
The expert added it was bronze and was most likely used as a doctor’s scalpel but said: “None of that matters, because when you look at how beautiful the thing is and how old it is and what it represents, it’s stunning.
“It just made my day to see it.”
He then valued it at between £500 and £800 but the guest replied: “It’s not about value.
“It’s the fact that the last person to have touched that before me was a Roman, and that’s what means everything to me.”
3
Antiques Roadshow is available on BBC iPlayer.
We pay for your stories!
Do you have a story for The Sun Showbiz team?
from:www.thesun.co.uk
published 2022-03-14 17:23:18
