Additional Coverage:
- ‘Antiques Roadshow’ audience gasps after expert revealed the value of guest’s 125-year-old cigarette box (marketrealist.com)
A gasp rippled through the audience of “Antiques Roadshow” as an expert revealed the stunning value of a seemingly ordinary cigarette box. The 125-year-old box, brought in by a guest who believed it was a gift to her grandfather from Tsar Nicholas II, held a secret even more valuable than its royal connection.
The guest recounted the family history surrounding the box. Her grandfather, a metallurgist, had been called upon by the Tsar’s authorities to repair malfunctioning guns just prior to the Russian Revolution.
While the Tsar didn’t gift the box directly, its ornate design hinted at a prestigious origin. A gold Ruble coin centered the box, surrounded by blue enamel under a protective transparent layer.
Tiny diamonds adorned the lip, and remarkably, an original cigarette remained inside. The box was nearly perfect, marred only by a small chip, a casualty of the guest’s attempt to store it securely in a small safe.
The expert’s examination unveiled the true maker of the exquisite piece: Fabergé. A familiar stamp inside the box elicited excitement, as Fabergé items are highly prized on the show. The guest shared that the box had been appraised at £900 (around $1,218) over three decades prior, when it still contained four original cigarettes and was undamaged.
Despite the minor chip, the expert reassured the guest, explaining that modern restoration techniques could easily repair the damage. Then, the moment of truth arrived.
The expert estimated the current market value of the box to be between £6,000 and £8,000 (approximately $8,128 to $10,837). “No!
I’m amazed,” the guest exclaimed, echoing the astonished gasps of the onlookers. The century-old cigarette box, a testament to exquisite craftsmanship and a brush with history, proved to be far more valuable than anyone imagined.