'Antiques Roadshow' fan thought he’d bought a $3 jug — until one symbol revealed its true value
Not many people can accurately estimate the value of artifacts, but "Antiques Roadshow" fan Nick Sady, who is differently abled, knows treasure when he spots one. All those years of passively watching "Antiques Roadshow" proved its worth when Sady's keen eye caught on to a silver jug in his latest expedition to the local St Vincent de Paul Society charity store. When talking to Newsweek, Sady mentioned that he is on the autism spectrum, which means he is likely to be an expert in certain aspects, such as patience, especially in areas that require research.
Sady's first collectible was a 1956 Superman board game, which he literally picked up from the trash. However, for Sady, St.Vincent has always held a special spot. For instance, “A few years ago, I found a Sterling giraffe sculpture made by a renowned South African artist for $3 that I sold for $1,700. Most recently, I picked up two antique, painted porcelain plaques for $6 each that sold for around $2,000.”
This time around, St.Vincent's had a jug for $3, which piqued Sady's interest, only because he was on the lookout for anything silver. He had just discovered, through his research, that there was an emblem of a lion in antique wares. It just happened to be that when Sady flipped the jug to inspect it, he found the emblem. In Sady's experience, everything that shines isn't always silver. It's mostly silver-plated, which is of no value. “I’m looking for Hallmarks. In this case, the all-important lion with a raised paw that indicates a piece is Sterling silver,” he said.
In this case, the lion's mark indicated that this jug was Sterling 925. Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver, making it a precious metal with intrinsic melt value. Silver is already a hot commodity in the current economy. Imagine Sady's delight. A $3 buy-out for something that could turn out to be far more valuable. At least, even if it wasn't worth anything, it's at least a $3 lesson. “My knowledge of the art world is far more extensive than it's ever been because of the research I do on the things I find,” said Sady.
For Sady, the financial payoff is almost as gratifying as the research. In this case, Sady was able to sell the $3 jug for close to $500, an exponential return on his investment. Sady, an avid Redditor who goes by the username u/MeerkatRiotSquad, had posted his experience on Reddit. Soon enough, a fellow netizen was able to trace the origins of the jug. "The hallmarks show it's British sterling silver, Assayed in Birmingham, UK, in the year 1950. Maker / sponsor is Hardy Brothers. Interestingly, they were based in London and Brisbane," they mentioned.
This tidbit of information sent Reddit into a frenzy, with many wondering how the silverware made in Britain landed in the St Vincent de Paul Society charity store in Australia. Anything assayed in England would have been sold in England, but if the original owner had migrated to Australia at the time, it would explain how Sady got his hands on the jug.
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