Antiques Roadshow guest wowed as nan’s ‘ugly afterthought’ tea cannister fetches thousands
An Antiques Roadshow guest laughed at the unexpected price tag of her grandmother's "dull" tea canister.
Antiques Roadshow: 1761 Coronation tea canister valued
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Antiques Roadshow.
An Antiques Roadshow guest was “amazed” at just how much her “ugly” tea canister was worth, as well as its royal backstory.
Expert Fergus Gambon was on hand at the old Royal Marines Museum in Portsmouth to meet with a guest who brought in a decorative white piece of pottery.
He began: “On the face of it, this looks like a rather bland, cream coloured pot. No colour, bit dull isn’t it? Where did you get it?”
The guest then explained: “It was my gran’s and when she died, my mum popped it in the bottom of the kitchen cupboard so that’s where it was until mum died.
“And then when we were clearing her house, I thought ‘better take it with me, I suppose.’
“I’ve never known the use of it or what it is.”
Gambon went on to point out the portraits on either side of the pot, one of a “regal looking gentleman” and the other of a lady.
She believed that the man looked as if he could be a king and she was proved to be correct.
Gambon continued: “Well I know who they are. This is a portrait of King George III and it’s surrounded by this wonderful rococo border, really high quality.
“On the back, is a portrait of his wife Queen Charlotte but what this is, is a tea canister.
“You put your loose leaf tea in there and these came as part of tea sets and it would have had a lid which is missing.
“And it’s made from a creamware body which is a type of pottery, cream coloured as it is, obviously, made to commemorate the coronation of King George III and Queen Charlotte in 1761 and it was made thereabouts. Isn’t that fantastic?”
The guest paused before pointing out: “And it’s not even chipped.”
Gambon exclaimed: “And it’s not even chipped! And just think how many of those boring coronation mugs there are about, made in their millions but back in 1761, how many pieces were made? Do you think there were many?”
She said she “didn’t think so”, to which Gambon agreed as he commented that he didn’t know who it was made by as “much 18th Century creamware, made in England, is not attributable”.
He went on to summarise: “So on one level, it’s a boring little cream coloured pot but it is a piece of early commemorative pottery and there are so many collectors out there whose dream it is to have a commemorative piece as early dates, with royal portraits so beautifully executed on it.
“So it might surprise you if I told you it would have no trouble at all making £2,500 to £3,000.”
Taken aback by the value, the guest said: “Well thanks. That was an afterthought to bring that, I just wondered what it was.
She went on to joke: “It’s amazing. It’s ugly as well, isn’t it?”, with Gambon teasing: “It’s money for ugly, that’s good!”
Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
