An Antiques Roadshow guest was left stunned following the valuation of two family heirlooms, after the expert shared his reluctance to look at the items.
BBC antiques expert Gordon Foster admitted he would usually avoid examining silver spoons, as they usually wouldn't amount to more than £50. However, this pair of Georgian spoons caught Gordon's eye after uncovering they were branded with the initials 'JC' for the renowned explorer James Cook.
One of Cook's descendants came along to the Antiques Roadshow with a selection of items from the explorer's travels that had been kept in the family, writes the Mirror.
The expert began: "Eagle-eyed viewers of the roadshow will know we don't often feature silver spoons unless they're special.
"Ostensibly, we're looking at Georgian silver spoon from 1750 and quite often we're asked on the roadshow when you've got initials engraved on pieces, does that make a difference to the value? Well, usually it doesn't because it tends to detract slightly. If however, we can pin down the initials to being someone of significance, that's a different story."
The guest explained: "On my father's side, generations of seafarers go back master mariners so yes, I am the five grand nephew of Captain Cook that's so that's explained why we've got one spoon."
Cook's distant relative explained that his family should have had two spoons in their collection, and later purchased a matching one at an auction when he explored the provenance and realised it was the missing spoon.
"I've been fortunate enough to handle quite a few rare pieces of silver in my time," Gordon continued. "But to pick up the spoon, from what you just told us, a spoon that belonged to Captain Kirk, famous navigator mapped out Australia, New Zealand, the Northwest Passage, these spoons were on that journey with him, he ate with those spoons."
Gordon revealed that silver spoons aren't usually valued on the BBC show due to their typically low value, but blew the guest away after revealing his item's staggering price.
"But the question is, how much does the provenance add to the spoon? And I can tell you, this provenance is like gold dust," he said. "This takes this spoon into a completely different stratosphere of value."
"This is where I say wow," the guest joked before the expert valued the spoons at £10,000 each.
"I think that's just extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary," Gordon said before the guest remarked: "Wow, incredible."
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