On ‘Antiques Roadshow,’ Guess How Much This Painting Was Worth?

For the past two decades, “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS has traveled around the United States, giving a platform to the stories of average Americans and their prized antiques. After doing research on the products brought in, appraisers give the customers more background information on their items — and then announce an estimated value.

The first episode of the 22nd season, which aired Monday night, did not disappoint in finding some hidden treasures.

The prized find on part one of the show’s Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, trip was an H. F. Farny Watercolor & Gouache Painting from 1982, which depicted the Sioux Native American tribe guiding horses through a mountain range. Although its owner initially believed the painting was a print, it was appraised at $200,000 to $300,000.

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The painting had been appraised twice as a print (in 1998 for $200, and in 2004 for $250). The work of art was then passed down as an inheritance to the original owner’s granddaughter — and she noticed a mosquito on the painting. She then took the painting outside to remove the bug from under the glass frame, but took a step back when she realized the painting might just be an original.

Indeed it was — and the way it depicted Native Americans made it especially appealing.

“This is a prolific time. This is when we started to see some of his best pieces,” appraiser Meredith Hilferty said, referencing Farny. “He represented the Native Americans in a very peaceful, kind of tranquil, way. You can see that in his painting that he never really brought conflict into his work like some of the other artists of his time. Charles Russell and [Frederic Remington] kind of would show the conflict, whereas he would show them in their natural environment without any other things happening besides the landscape around them.”

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An English-made Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle musket issued to the Confederate Army, which ended up being used by the Union in the Civil War, was one of the episode’s most intriguing items. Its original user was a member of the 116th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment.

Appraiser Tim Prince said the gun was captured by the Union through a blockade, and the state of New York purchased the firearm along with other seized goods to issue to their soldiers.

“Confederates [originally] purchased, but the guns [were] turned against them and used by the Union to preserve the Union,” he said.

Prince revealed that if it were the same-model gun used in England during the same time period, it would likely go for around $1,200. What makes it so appealing, however, is that it was Confederate war memorabilia, which is more valuable because it is rarer; the Confederate Army was smaller than the Union Army. Ultimately, it was valued at about $5,000.

In the sports department, a man brought in a “Lemon Peel” baseball from circa 1870 to see if it was worth anything. He found the ball while working on the railroad when someone threw out trash alongside the road. Appraiser Simeon Lipman valued the nearly 150-year-old baseball at $1,000 to $1,500.

The season premiere episode featured many items, which were worth thousands of dollars, but value is not always a guarantee.

He found the baseball while working on the railroad when someone threw out trash alongside the road. Appraiser Simeon Lipman valued the nearly 150-year-old ball at $1,000 to $1,500.

The end of the show usually features some items that are not so special. These often feature prints of paintings and costume jewelry. This week, one of those items included what a woman thought was Native American memorabilia; it turned out to be just a rock.

Not every item on “Antiques Roadshow” ends up being the kind that pays off a mortgage, but every now and then, there is a huge find — and the 2018 season opener certainly did not disappoint.

Tom Joyce is a freelance writer from the South Shore of Massachusetts. He covers sports, pop culture, and politics and has contributed to The Federalist, Newsday, ESPN, and other outlets.

(photo credit, homepage image: @meredithRagoArt’s appraisal, PBS, by Antiques Roadshow; photo credit, article image: @meredithRagoArt’s appraisal, PBS, by Antiques Roadshow)