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Antiques Roadshow: 7 of the most precious treasures discovered on the show

From a document signed by Queen Elizabeth I to a guitar once used by John Lennon...


antiques road trip
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
On 10 July 2022
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We love settling down on Sunday evenings to watch new episodes of beloved BBC show Antiques Roadshow, which sees Fiona Bruce travel across the UK to uncover priceless treasures and missing masterpieces.

MORE: Who is Antiques Road Trip presenter Philip Serrell's daughter?

But what have been the most valuable treasures discovered on the show? Keep reading to find out…

WATCH: Antiques Roadshow guest in tears following shock valuation

A document signed by Queen Elizabeth I

One of the most remarkable finds discovered on the show came in 2017 when a guest brought in a rare document from 1563 that bore the signature of Queen Elizabeth I. 

ar queen© Photo: BBC

Book expert Clive Farahar was blown away by the licence, which was written to allow an Elizabethan adventurer to go and discover gunpowder and valued the find at £35,000, which left the guest speechless.

MORE: Inside Antiques Road Trip star Natasha Raskin Sharp's sweet relationship with her dad

MORE: Antiques Road Trip: Meet Irita Marriott's husband and family

Fabergé flower

Back in 2017, two British soldiers appeared on the show to get an item that belonged to the British army regiment valued and were blown away when the jewellery's record-breaking valuation was revealed by Fabergé jewellery expert Geoffrey Munn.

ar faberge© Photo: BBC

Crafted out of gold, jade, diamonds and silver and standing in a carved rock crystal base, the piece certainly looked special, but the soldiers had no idea just how much it was worth - £1million!

John Lennon's guitar

A guitar once owned by Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison was brought along to a roadshow in 2019 and created quite a commotion. The prototype fretless guitar from the 1960s was owned by a musician who had been gifted it after impressing the two rockers with his skills. 

ar guitar© Photo: BBC

Expert Jon Baddeley was able to assess the unique instrument to be the real deal after seeing a photograph that showed it among George's collection and hailed it "by far the most expensive thing" he'd seen in his 25 years on the show.

MORE: Antiques Road Trip: meet the presenters' partners

Signed First Editions by Beatrix Potter

A set of first editions gifted and signed by Beatrix Potter herself were fetched for thousands when they were brought along to a Roadshow back in 2017. Although looking worse-for-wear with some missing splines, book expert Clive Farahar revealed that the rare editions were worth £25,000 and wasted no time in acquiring them.

ar potter© Photo: BBC

Star Wars helmet

Back in 2014, host Fiona Bruce was lost for words when she found out the valuation of an original prop from the original 1977 Star Wars movie.

ar helmet© Photo: BBC

The helmet, which was brought in by a collector who was on a mission to track down Star Wars memorabilia from around the world, turned out to be worth a staggering five-figure sum.

Charlotte Brontë's ring

Found in a box that was hidden in an attic for many years, this unremarkable looking ring shocked everyone when it was revealed that it once belonged to none other than Jane Eyre author Charlotte Brontë. Instead of the £25 that the guest who brought it in thought it was worth, it was actually valued at £20,000.

ar bronte© Photo: BBC

What's more, it was also discovered that the ring held a lock of the famous author's hair, making the find even more valuable.

MORE: Antiques Road Trip's Izzie Balmer talks downside of career

Shakespearean notebook

A tiny notebook that a guest took a chance on and brought to the roadshow back in 2017 turned out to be an incredibly valuable find.

ar notebook© Photo: BBC

The miniature volume reviewing Shakespeare's work turned out to be from the 17th century and, according to expert Matthew Haley, has "enormous scholarly value". It features "scientific scholarly notes" written during the Bard's lifetime and was predicted to fetch more than £30,000 at auction.

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