'Antiques Roadshow' guest says he needs a 'bodyguard' after expert tells him value of his 17th century box

People are bound to be elated after learning that an object in their possession is a lot more valuable than they thought, but it's also scary when the world knows that you have such expensive items in your house. "Antiques Roadshow" has gained a reputation for flooring guests who are oblivious to the value of items they bring. But in one episode, the guest had to call for bodyguards after learning that he had an extraordinary and expensive artifact. Even expert Alastair Dickensen was blown away by the significance of the pensioner's 17th Century Silver Gambling Counter Box that featured a portrait of King Charles I.

The piece was brought in by an elderly man, who had very little idea about what it was. The item immediately caught Dickenson's attention because of the portrait of the British king at the top. "My favorite 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," the expert said.

The owner seemed surprised as he didn't know who it was, before sharing the story of how he got the silver counter box. He said that he was in the insurance business when someone brought the item to his office in 1988. They were short of cash and wanted to pawn the silver box. Since he had some idea about antiques, he agreed to take the item and after negotiations for £2,000 (~$2,552). 

After hearing the story, Dickenson proceeded to closely examine the ornate object and share its significance. He showed that apart from the portrait of the King, the silver counter box also featured a portrait of his wife, Henrietta Maria at the bottom. "What I particularly like about this box is these fantastic, fanciful, almost demonic figures around the side here," he explained. 

He remarked that the engravings were beautifully pierced and the box contained more pieces of art inside it. When the owner was asked about what the item was, he said, "I was told it was gaming discs, produced by this awful gentry many, many years ago who did nothing but eat, drink, and womanizer." The expert laughed and confirmed that he was right and that it was a counter box that was used to keep disc-like counters used for gambling.  He then proceeded to open the box revealing 32 counters, each one beautifully engraved with different kings and queens of England.

"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," Dickenson explained. The guest was pleasantly surprised with the fact that he now had some idea of how valuable the item could be. Dickenson then explained that only a few such counter boxes have been auctioned and with the "32 little gems" inside, the item is ever so valuable.

Call the Bodyguards

At this point, the guest was on the edge of his seat, eager to know what could be the value of his silver counter box. Dickenson then shared that the appraisal told him that the item was definitely worth more than £2,000, and at an auction, it could probably fetch £6,000 (~$7,657) to £8,000 (~$10,209.94 )."

Taken aback by the expert's claim, the pensioner promptly exclaimed, "No! Golly." Following a brief pause, the elderly man remarked that he would need a bodyguard now to keep the expensive item safe.