An Antiques Roadshow guest was left stunned by the valuation of his silver gambling box. During a segment on the BBC show, Alastair Dickenson met with a pensioner who brought in a small silver box for appraisal, and it immediately caught the expert's eye. He said: "My favourite period of English silver is the 17th century and you've brought along a charming little box with a portrait of Charles I on the top.
" For the latest TV & Showbiz news, sign up to our newsletter Interrupting, the owner asked: "Is that what that is? " to which Dickenson confirmed: "Yep. And before we have a look at it, what can you tell me about its past?" READ MORE: I went to see The Syndicate on stage in Cardiff and I'm certain of one thing READ MORE: Piers Morgan says he’s ‘prepared to save’ Strictly amid crisis The pensioner said: "Well I know very little about it Alastair, apart from the fact that I was in business and one of the people in my office came to me and said he was a bit short of cash and was I interested in this," reports the Express . He added: "I said: 'yes, I don't know anything about it but it looks interesting.
What do you want for it? "So he mentioned a figure and I said it was a bit rather on the high side so I said to him I wouldn't go more than £2,000. He said: OK, I'll take it.' and I've had it ever since and that was in 1988.
" Dickenson then proceeded to examine the intricately decorated box more closely. Holding the box, he said: "As I said, on the top we've got the portrait of Charles I and underneath we have his wife Henrietta Maria. What I particularly like about this box is these fantastic, fanciful, almost demonic figures around the side here.
Absolutely beautifully pierced and engraved but we should actually say what it is." The owner replied: "When I bought it, I was told it was gaming discs, produced by this awful gentry many, many years ago who did nothing but eat, drink and womanise". Dickenson, laughing, replied: "Well there we are! Nothing more to be said! It is a counter box, you're absolutely right and I think if we take the lid off, we'll see inside these fantastic counters, each one beautifully engraved with different kings and queens of England.
" He went on to explain: "Now there's a maker associated with these and that's a chap called Simon Van de Pass and he died in 1647. So we know that this box, with the portrait of King Charles I has to be before 1647 so I would date it to about 1640." "Good gracious!" exclaimed the guest, before adding that the box contained 32 counters.
"That's pretty much near the capacity number of counters you can get into one of these boxes", said Dickenson. He concluded: "Over the years, a few of these have come up at auction and not that many of them have as many as 32 counters, because each one of these is a little piece of art in its own right. It's absolutely fantastic detail.
32 little gems all add up to a reasonable sum." The guest quipped: "Do they? I'm waiting for you to tell me what that sum is! ". Next, Dickensen delivered his expert assessment: "Well, I can tell you it's more than £2,000.
It's now £6,000 to £8,000." Taken aback, the pensioner responded: "No! Golly." Following a moment of surprise, he humorously added: "I need a bodyguard! ", eliciting laughter from Dickenson.
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