Antiques Roadshow was back for its usual weekly slot on Sunday, with a classic episode airing on BBC One.
One guest on the show was visibly stunned and gasped as he learned the value of a pistol he had brought in, one he spent no money himself on after it was gifted to him.
Expert Robert Tilney was impressed when the guest showed him the pistol and was delighted to share its unexpected valuation.
The owner had described how the pistol had been given to him when he was a teenager by his stepfather, who was uninterested in it.
Tilney admitted the item was "quite astonishing" as he inspected it, confirming it was authentic."It’s Italian, it’s out of Turin," he commented.
He went on to share: "It’s probably 1770, 1780." Wanting to know the story behind it, the expert asked the guest to explain how he had come to own the item.
The guest was stunned by the valuation
BBC
Talking about his stepfather, the guest recalled: "It was a gift from one of his business partners and later on, he wasn’t interested, so I received it from him."
The specialist of the BBC show was surprised it had been given to such a young person, noting the item's rarity.
"This is a top quality presentation piece," he enthused, adding: "I mean, if you start going back from the muzzle, you have this fabulous burst of gold here, gold chasing.
"The two cartouches are the Turin-proof marks. This is silver inlay work of the finest possible quality."
Expert Robert Tilney was 'astonished' by the item
BBC
He then explained if the pistol went to auction, it would likely earn around £15,000 to £20,000.
The guest, and some of the crowd that had gathered to observe, could be heard gasping before the owner remarked: "Wow."
He went on to add: "Excellent, excellent," while Tilney joked: "Not something that a small boy should have played with," before adding: "But we’ll forgive you. It’s wonderful. Thanks so much for bringing it in."
While guests on the show often get to walk away with life-changing news, sometimes things don't go how they had hoped.
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The pistol owner had been gifted the item as a teenager
BBC
Expert Will Farmer recently recalled how one guest had "stormed off" after being told a glass bottle he'd brought in wasn't an antique.
Speaking to The Express, Farmer remembered it had been sold to the guest as a rare 17th century glass bottle which he paid £1,000 for.
However, after pulling in the expertise of his colleagues, the Antiques Roadshow star was forced to deliver the bad news to the guest.
He explained the man responded by simply storming off, bottle in hand.
