Antiques Roadshow launched back in 1997 (Image: PA)
Since its debut on our screens in 1997, has delighted viewers with forgotten family heirlooms and bargain treasures.
The flagship programme provides a platform for the public the public to get their cherries possessions appraised experts.
This has included everything from art and crockery to historical artefacts and trinkets hidden in the back of cupboards.
While some unearthed items are bereft of monetary value, others have discovered a forgotten fortune in their attics.
As we step into the new year, let’s take a look back at some of the most remarkable valuations ever given on the teatime show.
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Fiona Bruce was shocked by the valuation of the original Star Wars helmet (Image: BBC)
Star Wars helmet
Back in 2014, host Fiona Bruce was lost for words when she learnt the valuation of an original prop from the first Star Wars A New Hope movie in 1977.
It is understood the pricey article was an original TIE (Twin Ion Engines) figter pilot helmet from the blockbuster moved directed by George Lucas.
The owner confessed the helmet was “burried in the attic with one of the seniour crew members of the film who was gifted it” and is understood to be one of only 12 made.
The helmet, which was brought in by a collector who was on a mission to track down Star Wars memorabilia from across the globe, turned out to be worth a staggering £50,000.
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One guest brought in an authentic letter written by Queen Elizabeth I (Image: BBC)
Royal letters
Arguably, one of the most remarkable finds discovered on the show came back in 2017 when a guest brought in a rare document from 1563 that featured Queen Elizabeth I’s signature.
The guest said the document came from her great grandfather and was handed down to her mother, who was also called Elizabeth. They explained that their mother was gifted the letter because “her birthday is the same date as when this document was first signed.
They went on: “It was given to her because it was the same birthd date. Her name was Elizabethm and her married name began with an R and therefore she used to sign her name Elizabeth R.”
Book expert Clive Farahar was blown away by the licence, which was written to allow an Elizabethan adventurer to go off and discover gunpowder.
The expert valued the one-of-a-kind item a staggering £35,000, which left the unsuspecting owner utterly speechless.
The Fabergé figure was valued at a staggering £1million (Image: BBC)
Fabergé flower
Later on that year, two British soldiers appeared on the show to get an item appraised that belonged to the British army regiment valued.
It’s fair to say the pair were blown away when the jewellery received a record-breaking valuation by Fabergé jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn.
Crafter out of gold, jade, diamonds, and silver and standing in a carved rock crystal base, the piece looked every bit the royal antique, which was estimated to be worth a staggering £1million.
He admitted that the stunning item left his “pulse racing” at the sheer sight of it as he valued the gorgeous item. He went on: “To make a judgement of that enormity is a tricky thing to do so I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t pressurised.
“This was a sensation beyond our wildest dreams really – this is a towering masterpiece from Fabergé. It’s what we call an ‘object of fantasy’ because it has absolutely no function whatsoever expect to be a source or pleasure – and it is. It is the rarest, most poetic manifestation of Fabergé’s work that one could ever hope to see.”
The first edition novels by Beatrix Potter were signed by the author (Image: BBC)
First edition novel
Another treasure discovered that year included a set of first edition children’s books gifted and signed by Beatrix Potter herself.
The proud owners revealed their mother met Beatrix when she stayed at a guest house in Near Sawrey in the Lake District, near the author’s home, in 1941 during the Second World War.
Potter was then in the later stages of her life and married to solicitor William Heelis, so she went by the name Mrs Heelis. The young fan, aged eight at the time, went to visit Potter’s home to meet her pet rabbits which inspired her stories and books – The Tailor of Gloucester and The Tale of Ginger and Pickles – to be signed by writer.
She obliged and shared a poersonal note and poem along with a pen-and-ink drawing of her most famous character, Peter Rabbit.
The adorable novels were fetched for thousands when they were appraised by the expert, despite looking a bit worse for wear.
Book expert Clive Farahar revealed that the rare editions were worth £25,000 as he gushed: “These two battered copies both signed by Beatrix Potter at the same time.
“I can’t get over this, it’s lovely. She was Mrs Heelis as you know because she married in her 40s and very often you see signed Beatrix Heelis. And so this a goldmine.”
An expert confirmed the notebook was written in the 17th century (Image: BBC)
Shakespearean notebook
The treasures kept on coming in 2017 when a guest brought in a tiny notebook on a whim that turned out to be an incredibly valuable find.
The miniature volume reviewing Shakespeare’s work turned out to date back to the 17th century from antiquarian John Loveday of Caversham and, according to expert Matthew Haley, has “enormous scholarly value.”
the book was found by the five times great-grandson of Loveday among his mother’s belongings. Manuscripts specialist Matthew Haley saiid it included detailed notes in Latin and suggested the noted could have been the work of a student analysing the playwright’s work.
He gushed: “There is so much research that can be done on this item. It’s amazing, it’s almost completely illegible, but you can pick out the odd word, and you can pick out phrases that appear in Shakespeare.”
It features “scientific scholarly notes” written during the Baird’s lifetime and was predicted to fetch upwards of £30,000 at auction.
John Lennon’s guitar was gifted to a session musician in the 1980s (Image: BBC)
Beatles guitar
Back in 2019, a guitar once owned by Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison was brought along to the roadshow, which caused quite a commotion.
The prototype fretless guitar from the 1960s was owned by the session musician Ray Russell who had been gifted it after impressing the two rockers with his musical talents in 1984.
Expert Jon Baddeley was able to confirm the unique instrument was the real deal after seeing a photograph that showed it sitting amongst George’s collection.
He went on to explain that it may have been used to record at least two tracks on the White Album, released in 1968 and valued it between £300,000 and £400,000.
He branded the guitar the “most expensive thing” he had seen on the show in 25 years.
A £25 ring that featured Charlotte Brontë’s hair was valued at £20,000 (Image: BBC)
Charlotte Brontë’s ring
Later that year, one guest discovered a box that was hidden in an attic for many years which housed a beautiful gold ring.
It was revealed that the beautiful piece of jewellery once belonged to none other than Jayne Eyre author Charlotte Brontë. The ring was inscribed “C. Brontë” alog with the date 1855.
Instead of the £25 that the guest who brought it in thought it was worth, jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn valued it at an estimated to cost a staggering £20,000.
What’s more, it was also discovered that the ring held a lock of the famous author’s hair, making the find even more valuable.
The expert admitted she “got goosebumps” from the item but added that there was “very little reason to doubt” it was the famous author’s ring.
She explained: “It was a convention to make jewellery out of hair in the 19th century. There was a terror of not being able to remember the face and character of the person who had died. It wasn’t an uncommon thing to happen.”