Antiques Roadshow

GUEST: I was on my way to meet a friend to do some shopping.

I was running way ahead of schedule.

Stopped at a yard sale.

It really kind of caught my eye, and I asked the lady how much she wanted for it.

She said ten-- it was really filthy.

And I said, "Would you take seven?

", and she said, "Yes."

APPRAISER: Ah.

GUEST: And so that was last August, and it's been sitting on my, on my bureau ever since.

APPRAISER: It is sterling silver.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: And while it looks like an antique mirror, it is not an antique mirror at all.

It's just...

GUEST: It is not!

It is not!

APPRAISER: It's a very lovely reproduction...

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: ...made in 1997 in London.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: So it isn't terribly old, but it looks like it's made 150 years before that.

The reason I can tell you that for sure is that it is very clearly marked right down here.

You probably can't see it, but it's tiny, tiny little marks right there.

There is a lion, meaning that it is sterling silver and made in England.

GUEST: Oh, my goodness.

APPRAISER: There is a leopard's head, meaning that it was made in London, specifically.

GUEST: Okay.

APPRAISER: There is a letter to correspond to the year 1997.

And then there are the maker's initials for Neil Lasher.

This is a technique called repouss.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: And repouss is a technique where they have a design that is molded or carved...

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: ...and they take a flat piece of silver and they hammer the decoration into the mold to create this three-dimensional effect of these flowers.

He made a lot of these, and the auction records show...

GUEST: Yeah.

APPRAISER: ...a lot of them of various different sizes.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: Also picture frames without mirrors in them.

This one is, is rather large.

A lot of them are smaller, but this is a nice, good size.

GUEST: Wow.

APPRAISER: And the silver is very thick on it.

It's in remarkably very good condition.

If I were to see this come up for auction, I would expect it to bring in the neighborhood of $500 to $700.

GUEST: Wow!

That's fantastic.

APPRAISER: (laughs) Well...

GUEST: That is fantastic.

I am just blown away and extremely surprised.

Wow, thank you so much.

APPRAISER: Well, I want to go shopping with you.

(both laugh) GUEST: Wow, that is fabulous.