AN OLD PLATE TAKEN TO ANTIQUES ROADSHOW VALUED AT £100,000

AN OLD PLATE TAKEN TO THE ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, CARRIED IN A WORN TESCO BAG IS VALUED AT £100,000. NEVER BEFORE IN THE TV SHOW'S THREE-DECADE HISTORY HAS A PLATE BEEN AWARDED A SIX-FIGURE VALUATION. BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WENDY JONES TOOK AN OLD PIECE OF CROCKERY TO THE WELL KNOWN PROGRAM. THE GRANDMOTHER WAS SHOCKED TO BE TOLD THAT THE PLATE, WHICH HAD SET ON A 'RICKETY' SIDEBOARD IN HER HOME FOR YEARS, WAS WORTH £100,000. SHE ONLY ATTENDED THE ROADSHOW EVENT HEAR HER HOME IN ABERGLASNEY, WALES, BECAUSE HER HUSBAND WANTED SOME BOOKS VALUED. SEEKING SOMETHING TO TAKE ALONG, JONES GRABBED THE 22 INCH PLATE ON HER WAY OUT OF THE DOOR AND CASUALLY TRANSPORTED IN IN A TESCO CARRIER BAG. BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE MOST VALUABLE PLATE TO HAVE APPEARED ON THE BBC PROGRAM. EXPERT VALUER JOHN AXFORD TOLD JONES THAT THE 18th CENTURY OVAL SHAPED PLATE WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE PRUSSIAN EAST INDIA COMPANY FOR FREDERICK II. MADE BETWEEN 1750 AND 1755, IT IS CONSTRUCTED OUT OF HARD PASTE PORCELAIN AND IS DECORATED WITH THE ARMS OF THE HOHENZOLLERN FAMILY, THE ORDER OF THE BLACK EAGLE AND THE MALTESE CROSS. THERE ARE PIECES OF THE SERVICE IN THE BEST MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD BUT ONLY TWO ITEMS HAVE BEEN SOLD IN THE LAST DECADE, AXFORD SAID. HE THEN DELIVERED HIS VALUATION OF £100,000 TO THE SPEECHLESS JONES, WHO REVEALED THAT THE PLATE ACTUALLY BELONGS TO HER SON AFTER IT WAS LEFT TO HIM BY HIS GRANDMOTHER. SHE SAID: 'HE DIDN'T HAVE ROOM FOR IT IN HIS LONDON HOME SO I HAD IT FOR YEARS, IT WAS ON THE SIDEBOARD ON THE RICKETY STAND. ONE DAY IT FELL OFF THE STAND AND CRASHED ONTO THE SIDEBOARD BUT LUCKILY IT WASN'T DAMAGED. I EXPECT MY SON WILL SELL IT AS HE HAS A YOUNG FAMILY.' AXFORD, AN EXPERT FROM WOOLLEY AND WALLIS AUCTION HOUSE IN SALISBURY, WILTSHIRE, BASED HIS ESTIMATE ON A MUCH SMALLER SOUP PLATE FROM THE SERVICE RECENTLY SELLING FOR £31,000. HE SAID: 'IT IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING BY FAR THAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE ROADSHOW. IT IS A FANTASTIC PIECE OF A VERY RARE ROYAL SERVICE AND IS VERY UNUSUAL.'