Antiques Roadshow Recap! Had a great time! *Appraisal Update*

[vthepresident]

Long time since I have had anything to post, but I thought you all might get a kick out of this.

After four years of applying, I finally got selected for Antique's Roadshow tickets in Washington DC tomorrow!


I get to take two items, and one of them will be a detecting find from last year. I posted it last summer, and some people thought it was military. It looks to me like a hat pin depicting a phoenix or an eagle. Naturally, the head broke off when I was cleaning it, since it was hanging by a thread anyway.



I know it's not going to be valuable, but I have looked in every book I can find, and this pin is nowhere to be found. I must know what it is!

My second item is an 1851 Springfield Cadet Musket. It came down through my family, and I am looking forward to finding out more about it. All the action still works, and it even has initials carved into the stock.






My backup is another detecting find that I want some information on. At the same site I found the hat pin, I found a silver pocket watch casing that looks pretty early. It has London maker's marks, and as best as I can tell, it's late 18th, early 19th century. Again, not very valuable, but I want to know more about it. I also posted it a while back.



I will post the results of my appraisals tomorrow. Thanks for reading
V

[curbdiggercarl57]

Hopefully they'll take a look at that stuff, and then ask if you want to be on camera.
Good luck!
Carl

[vthepresident]

that would be crazy! I have more of a face for radio

[Iron Patch]

First is probably a cloak clasp, possibly worn by military, but not an actual military item. There's also lions, and many more designs for these.

Stick around, maybe the other IDs will come and we'll send you detecting instead.

[baylorhall]

I went a few years ago and took an old family painting we didn't really like. Couldn't read the artist's name. Turned out to be Peter Moran and the painting (my sister's) was worth $25,000!! I even got to be on tv! You can see the video on their website if you search the artist's name. It was in San Antonio. I loved the AR and tried in vain to get tickets when they were here last year. Lots of cool stuff to see. Let us know how it goes!

[kyphote]

I went a few years ago and took an old family painting we didn't really like. Couldn't read the artist's name. Turned out to be Peter Moran and the painting (my sister's) was worth $25,000!! I even got to be on tv! You can see the video on their website if you search the artist's name. It was in San Antonio. I loved the AR and tried in vain to get tickets when they were here last year. Lots of cool stuff to see. Let us know how it goes!

Very cool. Can you post a link to the video rather than us running a search. Yes, I'm that lazy.

[BuckleBoy]

First is probably a cloak clasp, possibly worn by military, but not an actual military item. There's also lions, and many more designs for these.

Stick around, maybe the other IDs will come and we'll send you detecting instead.

It is Absolutely a cloak clasp--as evidenced by the hook for the eyelet in the opposing side of the garment, and the button shanks on the back for sewing it on.

I am almost positive it is a civilian item, from the 1820-50 age range.


-Buck

[baylorhall]

Sure, no problem.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200703A44.html

You just choose a media format and it should play the video. My 90 sec. of fame!

[kyphote]

Sure, no problem.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200703A44.html

You just choose a media format and it should play the video. My 90 sec. of fame!

Great performance! I'd totally flop. When the audio goes silent at the end, do the two of you really talk about meaningful stuff or is it "blah, blah, blah" for the camera? Haver always wondered that.

Painting is beautiful by the way.

[vthepresident]

First is probably a cloak clasp, possibly worn by military, but not an actual military item. There's also lions, and many more designs for these.

Stick around, maybe the other IDs will come and we'll send you detecting instead.

Excellent ID! I have been wondering for a year. Well, you just made up my mind for me, I'll take the pocket watch case instead.

I have been on a detecting hiatus since my son was born and we moved to Virginia, but we have settled down enough now that I am back in full swing and ready to comb some of the rich history of this area. So don't worry, I will be back in the fields tomorrow!

Thanks for the assistance
V

[vthepresident]

First is probably a cloak clasp, possibly worn by military, but not an actual military item. There's also lions, and many more designs for these.

Stick around, maybe the other IDs will come and we'll send you detecting instead.

It is Absolutely a cloak clasp--as evidenced by the hook for the eyelet in the opposing side of the garment, and the button shanks on the back for sewing it on.

I am almost positive it is a civilian item, from the 1820-50 age range.


-Buck

Thanks a lot! I am thrilled that it's that old. I love personal items like these, and I have been sick over the fact that the wing tips are bent... and the decapitation doesn't help either.
It's the pocket watch line for me today instead then!
V

[vthepresident]

I went a few years ago and took an old family painting we didn't really like. Couldn't read the artist's name. Turned out to be Peter Moran and the painting (my sister's) was worth $25,000!! I even got to be on tv! You can see the video on their website if you search the artist's name. It was in San Antonio. I loved the AR and tried in vain to get tickets when they were here last year. Lots of cool stuff to see. Let us know how it goes!

Awesome!
I am hoping the cadet rifle lands me on the air, but I'm sure there will be a lot more interesting items since it's in such a historical area. Crossing my fingers though.
I'll let you know if you should tune in!
V

[ANTIQUARIAN]

You're going to love the Antiques Roadshow. I remember when the PBS Roadshow came to Toronto in 1998 and I stood in line for almost 4 hours before I got in. I got to meet Leslie & Leigh Keno, just to be able to watch them in action doing the appraisals . . . they were so knowledgable .

I also attended the BBC Antiques Roadshow in Toronto in 2001 and the Canadian Antiques Roadshow in Kingston, Ontario in 2005. You're going to have so much fun, but get there early because the lineups are very long. Let us know how you got on there.

[computerwizard1959]

Sure, no problem.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200703A44.html

You just choose a media format and it should play the video. My 90 sec. of fame!

I'm loving the cows too! Great painting and a nice piece of south Texas history too!

[GopherDaGold]

The rifle is sweet! I'd like to see that on the show.

[kuger]

That will be cool!!I love that Musket!!!
I swear that first item is a cloak clasp,possibly for the Haitian army?Phoenix button affiliation??

[Bev]

I wish I read this earlier- I would have suggested to bring a book! The lines are insane but worth it! I went to it when they came to Rhode Island a few years back! Don't miss the opportunity if you get the chance!

[BuckleBoy]

First is probably a cloak clasp, possibly worn by military, but not an actual military item. There's also lions, and many more designs for these.

Stick around, maybe the other IDs will come and we'll send you detecting instead.

It is Absolutely a cloak clasp--as evidenced by the hook for the eyelet in the opposing side of the garment, and the button shanks on the back for sewing it on.

I am almost positive it is a civilian item, from the 1820-50 age range.


-Buck

Thanks a lot! I am thrilled that it's that old. I love personal items like these, and I have been sick over the fact that the wing tips are bent... and the decapitation doesn't help either.
It's the pocket watch line for me today instead then!
V

The wings Can be restored--but it takes a lot of practice and something you wouldn't want to be your first piece. I do it by heating with boiling water, then bending slowly. I will only bend once. Very, very seldom twice. The more you bend, the more likely it is to break. Sometimes I don't even bend it quite all the way back, depending on what I feel while I do the bend. You can usually feel if it's going to break--I don't know how to explain it, but it's true.

Practice on Lots of bent-up suspender clips before you attempt that. I have only seen one cloak clasp dug in 18 years, and I do not think they were common items at all. It was hard to even find a photo online of a cloak clasp of the same vintage.

Regards,


Buckles

[vthepresident]

Thanks for all the great replies. I had a fantastic fun day in our nation's capital, and Antique's Roadshow was a blast.

It turns out my rifle was an army issue 1851 Springfield .54 caliber, and due to the condition and the absence of the ramrod, it was worth $300-$500. It is a family heirloom, and I will keep fleshing out my family history to hopefully match the initials with a person, but it was great to hear about it from the experts!

Thanks for all the help with the cloak clasp. It will now get a much higher place in my displays, and I might even try straightening it out one day (Thanks BB).

The pocket watch case was not 1794, but rather 1814, which is still pretty awesome for a silver find in my book. The guy told me that it would have had all the workings inside the part I have, and then the whold thing would have fit inside another case that had a flip down lens to cover it. As I was walking away from the booth, the appraiser called me back and showed me the next guy in lines watch, which was almost identical to mine, except that it was complete. It was minted in London only six years prior to mine! It was neat to see the complete thing, and his watch appraised for $600-$800.

I saw some AWESOME antiques, and had a really fun time all day long. We went to look at the coins and the military section in the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and I don't really recommend that for detectorists, because seeing all those Holy Grails of Digging in one place will make you very jealous. Seriously, it was really nice to see the originials and the finest examples of all the things we search for. It truly is the connection to our nation's history that keeps me digging, and seeing George Washington's epaulettes, and Andrew Jackson's hunting rifle in person really makes you feel connected to your countrymen.

Thanks for all the replies, and I would recommend the Roadshow to everyone
V

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Great to hear you enjoyed yourself there V.
Not quite as much fun as finding gold in the hole, but almost as much fun as finding silver!