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Antiques Roadshow expert Jon Baddeley was on hand to help the guest understand the 18th Century piece a little better when the BBC show filmed at Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. The owner of the pocket globe had been given the item by his father but knew very little of its origin and just how unique the object was. Staggered by the true value of the piece, the guest told the managing director of the international auctioneers he wasn’t going to be trading it in any time soon.
Jon began his analysis by telling the guest: “One of the great things about the Antiques Roadshow, and I’ve been on the show for over 25 years, is that you the public bring me things I have never, ever seen before.
“We see pocket globes but this pocket globe says ‘A new terrestrial globe by Palmer and Newton 1783.’
“I’ve probably handled, well, well over 100 globes of this size. Never seen this maker so thank you very much, to begin with.”
Intrigued by what the owner had in mind, the expert asked what he wanted to know about the object in his possession.
The guest said: “Well, one of the interesting things about it which I don’t know is how it was made, because 1783, late 18th Century, it’s a perfect sphere.”
“How did they do that in those days, and how did they draw the map and how did they colour it?” he asked.
The expert explained: “First of all, the globe is made a bit like an eggshell. It’s made from plaster in two halves and they make the sphere absolutely perfect.
“The actual map is printed flat in segments like an orange and then it’s applied in these segments to the sphere and then encases the whole lot in fish skin.
“They were produced, as you say, in the 18th Century, I would have met you down at the coffee shop.”
Jon continued: “I would have had these great big 18th Century pockets and I would have brought out our globe and said, ‘Did you know my vessel has just sailed from Java and now it’s in Cape Town?’
“And we’d have had a discussion about shipping, or we could have had a discussion about the stars.
“So they were like the pocket computer of the 18th Century,” he continued, before asking how the guest got his hands on it.
“My father left it to me in his will but how he received it I have no idea. It may have been handed down from his father or maybe from another family member but I really don’t know.”
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It’s in fantastic condition
Jon Baddeley
Admiring the object once more, Jon commented: “Well, a lovely thing and a lovely example of an 18th Century globe.
“It’s in fantastic condition. It’s a period piece. It’s by a very rare maker,” he continued, before giving his valuation.
“At auction, we’d be talking about a figure of between maybe £3,500 and £5,000,” the antique specialist affirmed.
Stunned by the revelation, the guest replied: “Nice to know,” before telling the expert he wasn’t going to be selling it.
“Good,” Jon declared, before asking the owner of the pocket globe if he had children who could get their hands on it.
Replying he did, the expert warned the object owner not to let them play with it to which he responded: “They’re too old for that.”
Taking to Twitter, viewers also offered their take on the relic, with one writing: “Love this globe, all the ones I’ve seen usually have lots of alcohol inside #AntiquesRoadshow.”
Another added: “Love that globe! #antiquesroadshow.”
Antiques Roadshow airs Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.
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