Pensioner discovers the true value of two antique plates

The world of collectibles and antiques is incredibly unpredictable for those who aren’t experts. What may seem like an old, worthless object to most people can actually be highly valuable.

That’s exactly what happened to a woman who appeared on a British TV show and ended up selling two decorative plates for a five-figure sum, despite initially believing they had no real value.

The story aired on Antiques Roadshow, which sees antique specialists evaluate people’s belongings. In 2014, the show experienced one of its most legendary moments when a retired woman presented two damaged plates that turned out to be historical treasures.

Valuable antiques, carried in a handbag

The woman explained that she brought the plates to Antiques Roadshow more out of curiosity than expertise. She explained that she had always seen them hanging in her husband’s family home but knew only that they had belonged to his mother’s side of the family. Expecting little reward, she casually carried the plates in her handbag, without any protection.

The show’s experts noted that the plates were in poor condition, with one even having cracks in the center. However, to the woman’s surprise, they also informed her that the pieces were extremely rare and special, making their value far more significant than their condition would suggest.

What initially appeared to be two simple decorative plates turned out to be 17th-century ceramic relics. The center of the pieces depicted King James II alongside a Chinese figure, and after careful analysis, experts determined they were perfect examples of Brislington pottery, produced in Bristol in the 1650s.

Shortly after, a ceramics specialist confirmed the plates were incredibly rare, valuable, and unique, stating that similar pieces hadn’t been seen for over a century. As a result, the woman sold them for over £20,000 (approximately $27,000). The better-preserved plate was auctioned for £12,600, while the other fetched £7,500 from collectors.

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