Antiques Roadshow

GUEST

The story in the family is that it was a wedding present to Betsy Patterson and Jerome Bonaparte.

APPRAISER

Okay-- you brought in a picture of her.

GUEST

The Patterson family was a Baltimore family and she, Betsy, apparently was quite a social lady. I use "lady" loosely because I understand her reputation wasn't the best. And Napoleon's youngest brother, Jerome, was in the West Indies with the French Navy. And a war broke out with England and Jerome was told to come back to France to fight the war. He came to Baltimore to get on a ship, saw Betsy Patterson, and the two of them fell madly in love.

APPRAISER

When did they get married?

GUEST

In 1803.

APPRAISER

Okay, well, this is a very interesting clock. Look, the pendulum goes back and forth like a swing rather than back and forth like a pendulum. And that's a very novel feature. And it is a French clock. But if you turn it around and look at the rear, you can see the unusual escapement in it and you notice that it has a stamping on the back. And the stamping says Farcot. And Farcot's patent was a French patent for the escapement, which was a gizmo which allowed the swing action to happen. The only thing is that the patent was patented in 1862.

GUEST

Aha.

APPRAISER

So this clock...

GUEST

Couldn't possibly...

APPRAISER

You got it, Ann.

GUEST

Couldn't possibly.

APPRAISER

I think you're way ahead of me here. It could not have been made before 1862. Well, if this were just a pendulum clock it would probably be worth $700 or $800 because it's a pretty pendulum clock. But the way it is now with the unusual pendulum and the condition, I think it deserves a value more in the area of $1,800 to $2,200.

GUEST

Fine. Because I think she's not leaving our family ever, so...

APPRAISER

That's right, and she keeps swinging, too.

GUEST

Yes. (chuckling) I will not repeat the false story anymore.

APPRAISER

Oh, don't worry. It's a good story, keep it going.

GUEST

Thanks, thanks, that's fun.