An Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned to discover the staggering value of his silver gaming box and joked that he needed a “bodyguard” to keep it safe.
Speaking on the BBC programme, expert Alastair Dickenson was left in complete shock as he looked at the 17th-century piece, which featured a portrait of Charles I.
Alastair said: ‘My favourite period of English silver is the 17th century and you have brought a lovely little box with a portrait of Charles I on the top.’
Interrupting, the pensioner exclaimed: “Is that what it is?”
Alastair confirmed the story and replied, “Yes. And before we take a look at him, what can you tell me about his past?”
An Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned to discover the staggering value of his silver gaming box and joked that he needed a “bodyguard” to keep it safe.
Expert Alastair Dickenson, on the BBC programme, was left in complete shock when he saw the 17th-century piece which featured a portrait of Charles I and had 32 tokens.
The owner explained: ‘Well, I know very little about this, Alastair, other than the fact that I was in the business and one of the people in my office came to me and said he was a bit short of cash and would I be interested in this.
‘I was in the insurance industry and specialised in antiques. I said, “Yeah, I don’t know anything about it, but it sounds interesting. What do you want for it?”
‘He then mentioned a figure and I said that was a bit high, so I said I wouldn’t pay more than £2,000. He said, “Okay, I’ll take it” and I’ve had it ever since, in 1988.’
Expert Alastair then examined the unique object and said: “As I said, at the top we have the portrait of Charles I and below that we have his wife Henrietta Maria.
‘What I like most about this box are those fantastic, fanciful, almost demonic figures on the side.’
The owner explained that when he purchased the antique, the previous owner told him it was “game discs.”
He said: “Absolutely beautifully pierced and engraved, but we should really say what it is. Well, I understand that when I bought it, I was told that they were game discs, produced by this terrible nobility many, many years ago who did nothing but eat, drink and womanise.”
Alastair added, laughing: ‘Well, there we are! There’s nothing more to say! It’s a box of counters, you’re quite right, and I think if we take off the lid, we’ll see inside these fantastic counters, each one beautifully engraved with different kings and queens of England.
Expert Alastair gave the owner the unexpected news: “Well, I can tell you it’s over £2,000. Now it’s between £6,000 and £8,000.”
‘There is a maker associated with these objects, a guy called Simon Van de Pass who died in 1647. So we know that this box, with the portrait of King Charles I, must be before 1647, so that would date it to around 1640.’
The pensioner was shocked and replied: “Oh my God” before confirming that there were 32 chips in the box.
The expert replied: ‘That’s pretty much the maximum number of counters you can fit into one of these boxes.
‘Over the years, a few of these have appeared at auctions and not many of them have as many as 32 counters, because each one of them is a little work of art in itself.
“It’s an absolutely fantastic detail. 32 little jewels add up to a reasonable sum.”
The guest was incredulous and said, “Really? I’m waiting for you to tell me how much that sum is!”
Expert Alastair then gave the owner the unexpected news: “Well, I can tell you it’s over £2,000. Now it’s between £6,000 and £8,000.”
The owner was stunned: “No! Wow!”, before joking: “I need a bodyguard!”
