BBC Antiques Roadshow shock as cracked plates sell for eye-watering value

viewers saw two historic plates, one of which had a crack running down the middle, leave experts gobsmacked back in 2014.

These blue and yellow plates, which depict King James II and a Chinese figure, have sold for a whopping £20,000 at auction.

The 17th century items, sold for £7,560 and £12,000 each at Woolley and Wallis auctioneers in Salisbury, Wiltshire on February 5.

The owner of the plates had brought the set onto the show in her handbag as she told ceramic John Sandon: “’I remember them on the wall of my husband’s parent’s house and traditionally in the family they were said to be very valuable.

“But no one else seemed to know anything else about them and in due course they came to my husband.

“When I asked about them, he said all he knew was that they came from his mother’s family.”

Mr Sandon then told her: “I mean this one is in a bit of a shocking state. It’s been broken in half, I mean someone liked it enough to stick it back together just about but it’s barely held together.

“But this is really quite an important piece of pottery because you’ve got a picture of the king on a rare shape and rare colours.

“It doesn’t get much more special than this so we can forgive the poor condition.”

The owner then added: “Can I cry now?”

Ceramics specialist at at Woolley & Wallis Clare Durham said the two items were incredibly rare, as she added neither had been seen on the market for upwards of a century.

She added: “The sale of two historic Delftware plates shows that Delftware still has a following. The price for the plate featuring King James II was strong considering it had been broken in half.”

The crack in the plate is thought to be deliberate, as it happened to many other pieces picturing King James II following The Glorious Revolution, which saw the him deposed for his religious beliefs.

Antiques Roadshow airs on Sundays at 8pm on BBC1.