17 November 2023 , 15:58
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A schoolboy - thought to be Antiques Roadshow's "youngest ever guest" - was left gobsmacked by the worth of a genie lamp.
The young man couldn't believe the true worth of a "genie lamp" he found on the roadside. He spotted the sterling silver item whilst walking home from school and picked it up, thinking it might be valuable. He described how he had been walking home from school with his dad when he saw what he thought was an antique teapot sitting in a box by the roadside labelled 'free'.
He noticed that the item had a G on it, which is the first letter of his name. He affectionately called it a genie lamp before revealing it had been his wish to be on television since he was five-years-old.
The young man couldn't believe the value (BBC)
He saw the teapot on the side of the road (BBC)Antiques expert Lagina Austin explained more about the product, revealing the item was sterling silver and used for coffee, but said that if it was ever sold, the ivory handles that would need to be removed. She explained: "It's what they call a demitasse pot, which would be used for coffee rather than tea. And this was probably part of a set. And the G on there is probably a family name of whoever this belonged to at one point. You're right that it's sterling silver."
She also noted that it bore a "laurel wreath and and the sword" on the bottom, marking it as a product of Wilcox and Wagner, a New York-based silverware company that ceased operations in 1905.
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Giving her verdict on the value of it, she estimated that it could fetch between £200 to £300 at auction. The boy was left gobsmacked by the value of his find, exclaiming: "Wow for something I found on the side of the road. That's amazing."
The clip soon went viral on TikTok, with fans thrilled to see the young man pick up on such a great find. One user commented: "This child has the enunciation I have been trying to achieve for 53 years," as another added: "Such a smart and articulate young man."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]