(bright holiday music) Welcome to a special holiday edition of Mississippi Antique Showcase.

Please join us as we explore unique Christmas antiques and see what we can learn about these yuletide treasures, family heirlooms, and quirky collectibles, and find out what they might be worth - Anywhere from $1200 to $1500.

- Well, we are lucky to be joined by the one and only Santa Claus for this, uh, holiday edition of Antique Showcase.

So thank you so much for coming in today.

- I am so excited to be here.

I have these three mystery bells I'm hoping you can help me with.

- Oh, we hope we can too.

So why don't you tell us a little bit about 'em and where you got them.

- These bells were given to me by the US Army many years ago.

They didn't want to get confused with Santa Claus going overhead, so they would always know where I was at by the sound of my bells.

And I was hoping you could tell me something about them because I'm at a loss.

- Well, I would love to.

And it's, it's great that you still put these to use today in your sled.

I can't imagine a better use, but I I'll be happy to tell you a little bit about them.

These are a grouping, not that they're a set, but you have several of these bells that, um, were used by the US Army Camel Corps.

Um, and this was a part of an experiment from about 1855 to 1866.

And basically what they did is they used these and they usually came with leather straps on the bells.

And part of the experiment, um, they put to use camels to see if they would be proficient in the battlefield.

Um, they eventually abandoned that idea after some time, but they did acquire some camels from Egypt.

They acquired them from Turkey at two different times.

And so, um, a little bit more about the bells.

They, um, do have, you can see here the Eagle and Shield insignia, and besides the Eagle and Shield, they do have the sunburst and stars.

What we can see those, and in fact, all of them have the similar motif on there.

Um, I think they're all great insignias.

I think they all, even though they're different and we'll talk about this, have uh, a nice patina to them in their own different ways.

So you told me that you had gotten this particular bell, the one down here in the lower, uh, left authenticated.

- Correct.

- Why don't you tell, and who authenticated that?

- This has been authenticated by the National Park Service and the, uh, Army Transportation Museum as being an authentic Camel Bell.

- Right.

And, and I think that's, uh, pretty accurate from what I can tell.

And I think this is probably the earlier of the bells that were probably what we would call period for that time that they were used.

This is just a little later, I think that we talked about, and this is probably a reproduction bell and how you can tell is it has less discoloration, less spilling, as we call it.

And it gets better the, the patina does with each of the newer versions.

So you're gonna see more of the discoloration spilling in this patina, but all around, I mean, I think these are fascinating items.

They're a really important part of United States battle history, essentially, and around the Civil War.

So these are really special items.

Do you have any idea how much they could be worth?

- No, I don't, but I know Mrs. Claus has been wanting a new ring.

So, uh, I, we need to find out.

- So you may want to sell these if you find the right buyer.

Well, I can tell you that they could get pretty close depending on your price range for Mrs. Claus.

But I would say this original or more period and not reproduction bell would probably bring in the $800 to $1,000 range.

And then you'll see these later versions, or potentially the reproduction be more, let's say this in the $300 to $500 range and then the $200 to $300 range.

- Oh, wow.

- So if you group these together and you found the right buyer.

- We call that "marry".

- Yeah.

If you marry these bells, uh, Cory always has sometimes a better terminology.

But um, I think you can save up enough quite for a good ring for Mrs. Claus.

- Oh Wow.

That is fantastic.

I'm excited about that.

And you are both on my "Nice" list this year.

- Well, Santa, I can't wait to hear these bells ringing overhead on Christmas Eve.

And thank you so much for bringing them in.

- Ho, ho, ho.

Well, thank you and I'll be seeing you soon.

Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!

- Merry Christmas.

- Sherry, thank you so much for joining us here at Mississippi Antique Showcase.

And you've brought something very awesome that I'm excited to look at.

Can you tell me about it?

- I got it as an estate sale approximately 15, 20 years ago, and I've been real interested in finding out what it's worth.

And I finally got the chance to come here.

I got a couple of questions like how to clean it, what kinda metal is it?

And was that John Flanagan's writing on the back, or was it someone else that wrote that on there?

- Well, hopefully I can answer at least one of those questions.

- Okay.

- If not all of them, I'll do my best.

Okay.

So what do you know?

It sounds like you've done some research.

Can you tell me what you know?

You've mentioned John Flanagan already, - What I figured out, John Flanagan, he was also known for doing the quarter, and this was done in 1901.

He was very well known.

John Flanigan was for his work, and this is called a bas-relief, I was told that it is a bas-relief.

- Right.

And it's a relief.

What there that refers to is if you see here how you could literally touch it, you know, it's a relief and it's not etched into the bronze or anything like that.

It's coming out, you know, away from it.

And so can you tell me who this is here?

Who does that say?

- It says his name is Wilson Nesbit Benson.

- It turns out that Wilson Nesbit Benson has some Mississippi ties.

- Really?

- Yeah, sure does.

And um, so that might be how the piece ended up here in Mississippi.

Um, you know, appears that he lived in Mississippi for a while.

Um, alright, so one question you had for me as soon as we started was who wrote this, right?

- Yes.

And I'm sorry it's taped up, but I it's getting old and crumbly.

- Yeah.

So can you read it?

- A bas-relief portrait by John Flanagan exhibited in Luxembourg Art Gallery in Paris.

- Okay.

Yeah, I mean, that's some pretty good provenance.

Now there is no way for me to figure out if he wrote this or not, you know, there, I mean, unless you did some sort of handwriting match or something to figure out who wrote this.

But this was probably added later, would be my guess.

Um, or someone who owned it wanted to make sure that, you know, it was put on there.

I did find that this specific item is in the collection of the Musee d'Orsay in, uh, Paris as well.

And so this is, he did a lot of reliefs.

Um, and you can find 'em, they vary.

There are coins that are about 12 inches, um, that look like coins, you know, bronze medallions, basically all the way down to this size.

Now there's some writing on here that I wanna touch on before we talk about everything else.

Um, you can see his initials right there.

- Yes.

- And then it says Paris underneath.

- Yes.

- And then I believe that says August and then a year.

And so all of that, you know, goes back to the writing on the back that tells us that it was in Paris and, you know, displayed and stuff.

And so he was working there, um, as well before he did a lot of stuff in New York.

Um, and it's a pretty, while not as known as his other pieces, it's, you know, pretty important because there's only a couple examples, you know, that I could find out there.

What did you pay for it at the garage sale?

- It was either $10 or $20.

- $10 or $20?

- Yeah.

- Do you have any idea what the value could be today?

- No, but I would love to know.

I've kept it a long time to find out.

- Yeah.

Well it's, it's more than what you paid for it.

I'll tell you that much.

I think that realistically you'd be looking at an auction estimate in the $1,000 range, um, and it could go up, uh, from there.

So with the auction value, if you were to do a replacement value for insurance reasons or something like that, I would say somewhere around $2,000.

And your question about cleaning it, I wouldn't touch it.

So it appears to be silver over bronze.

And the reason that I'm saying that is because you can see some spots of wear down here and then here as well, where the bronze is actually coming through.

And most of the stuff that you find are bronze.

- I'm excited.

- Yeah.

Well, great.

Again, thanks so much for bringing in.

I was very excited to see this.

- Thank you.

- So it's been great.

- Hello and welcome to the Mississippi Antique Showcase, Holiday Edition.

Thanks for coming in.

- Thank you.

- You wanna tell us a little bit about what you brought today?

- Uh, yes.

This is a, uh, a gun.

It's a, some type of a pistol.

Um, that's been in my family, in my direct family.

Came to my dad from his great uncle who had been a captain in the Civil War on the Confederate side.

Um, and he gave it to my dad right before he passed away in 1919.

And so this is sat in our, um, in our den for a number of years as I was growing up.

And then when my dad passed, he gave it to me and we just thought it was so neat.

My wife and I thought it was so neat that we had it framed.

- It's pretty, pretty decorative at this point, as far as not usability as a, a weapon, but, um, well, I'll, I'll talk to you a little bit about what I know about it, and then we will try to see if we can put a value on it.

- Okay.

Right.

- So originally before I saw it in person, I was thinking this was a derringer pistol, but when I finally saw, uh, what the signature was on the metal, uh, cap, it's actually, you can look in there.

- I see that.

Yeah.

- Yes.

If you can see, and that's, uh, typical where the gun, uh, maker, gunsmith would put their mark on the pistol.

And so this gun maker, um, T Herrett was about an 1820s, 1830s New York gunsmith and gun maker along the same lines of the derringer pistol.

And why I keep saying derringer is 'cause that's what everyone knows.

And it became famous because that was the type of pistol that was used in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

- Hmm.

- And so it really did become, uh, become famous for that.

So now everyone just kind of generally refers to these, even though there's different gunsmiths.

Um, so it is 19th century, you can tell some attributes about the gun they had, uh, walnut stockets on here.

Um, and overall it's just a fine specimen of that early 19th century when they, when they shifted from the flintlock to these percussion caps.

Do you have any idea about what it's worth?

- No, I really have no earthly idea what it's worth.

- Well, I, I don't think because it's purely decorative, you've lost any value.

I, I think you're looking at the range of $650 to $1000.

- Okay.

- That's pretty accurate.

- Yeah.

And so, I mean, it it, like I said, it's a very good specimen.

It is decorative at this point, but you've got a lot of story with it, which of course, the sentimental value and how it's passed on the family.

- Oh yeah.

It's priceless.

- That's what it's all about.

So we really appreciate you bringing it in.

- Absolutely.

Thank y'all.

It's been a pleasure.

- Appreciate it.

- Hello Anna.

- Hi, Adam.

- So we've got something pretty special here for the Christmas special, right?

- We do.

- What is it?

- So this is a painting that was commissioned for MPB by Miriam Weems, who was a beloved artist here in Jackson.

It was, she was a local artist, and she actually, we commissioned this painting back in 2000 for her to do, for us for our Christmas card.

So it was our MPB Christmas card that year.

And she did it and donated it to the station, and we, it hangs in our hallway and we absolutely love it.

- At, at this point, it was 24 years ago that she did this Christmas card.

Right?

- That's right.

And she has really done some really great things.

She was a patron of MPB, she was a patron in the community, so we just love having it.

- So Miriam passed in 2011, and so obviously you can't buy any works that are current.

There's stuff that she did paint.

She has two auction records.

What do you think that this piece is worth?

- You know, I really don't know.

Um, I know when she was alive that her works went from anywhere between $100 to $250.

Um, I don't think they were super expensive at that time.

Um, but I really wouldn't know now that she's gone.

- So her works have actually appreciated pretty substantially.

Um, we've seen records in the $350 to $600 range at auction, but with this, and with the importance of it actually being on the Christmas card and everything, I think that realistically we're looking at a replacement value of about $1,500 to $2,000.

- Well, isn't that wonderful?

- Yeah, it's fantastic.

But of course it's got so much sentimental value around here.

- That's right.

We're not gonna get rid of it.

Of course.

So we just love having it, and it's nice to know that she did something like that for us before she left us.

- Absolutely.

Well, thank you for showing it to us.

It's pretty awesome, - Adam, thank you for coming and spending time with us and telling us what it's worth.

We appreciate it.

- It's been so much fun.

- We're glad to have you.

- Thanks for having me.

- I'm here with my new friend, Tom.

Uh, Tom, how did you acquire this?

- Actually, my father acquired it in England when he was stationed there with the Eighth Air Force from 1943 through the end of the war in 1945.

- Wow.

- He found it at an estate sale.

And from what I understand, he was a very frugal individual, and I doubt that he paid much for it.

- Well, if he didn't pay much for it, he got a beautiful, beautiful deal, I can assure you of that.

First of all, it's a cutlery set, and actually it's really two sets in this one case.

It's lovely that the case is, is, um, is intact with the, with the, with the cutlery.

Um, they're very lovely.

Uh, they're trimmed in sterling, um, and they are Sheffield.

And Sheffield was one of, um, England's most prominent, um, silversmiths.

Um, so, and it's very clearly marked on this set right here.

And of course, it's horn and I love the, the crown motif on here.

So this is a really a, a, a beautiful, beautiful set.

And now this set is much more of a service set, and you see all of the pretty, the beautiful work on here.

And this too is sterling with the bone handles.

Um, England did so much of, of that, the bone handles and things because you know, of all the castles and all the hunts and all the great things like that.

So it's, it's really a, a, a beautiful set, but also very serviceable.

Did you remember your father using it?

- He did.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas he would drag it out of the, uh, dining room cabinet, and he would use it to carve the turkey.

So that was its use.

Yes.

- Well, it's a, it's an incredible set, and we want to thank you very much for, for sharing it with us and when sharing it with all our friends, um, that are watching us tonight.

Um, I would value this, uh, in two different ways since it's really two sets.

I wonder if perhaps the two other pieces that match this were here and they're no, they're no longer with the set, but, uh, because this is clearly two different, two different sets, um, I, I would, I would value this set right here at $350, this, these three pieces, and I would value the two over here with all the intricate work on them.

Uh, I'm, I don't know if you can actually see this, uh, but it's, it's absolutely incredibly wonderful.

Um, and I would say that on this set I would do $350 as well, just for the two pieces.

- Okay.

- So, no matter what he paid for it.

He did well.

- Yes.

- And you know, another thing great about it is he really gave you a legacy of enjoying beautiful things, I'm thinking.

And the very fact that you have memories of it - And the real value is a sentimental value too.

- Absolutely.

You're exactly right.

That's what the world of antiques is all about.

- There you go.

- It's a fun world.

You know, we appreciate you being here, Tom.

- Thank you very much.

- Thank you so much.

- Appreciate it.

Thank you.

- Well, thanks for joining the, uh, appraisal twins here on the holiday edition of Mississippi Public Broadcasting's Antique Showcase.

Why don't you tell us a little bit about what you brought in?

- This is a lap desk that belonged to my husband's family, and it had lots and lots of family papers in it, which I didn't bring because they're letters and just, I mean, it was full.

But there are some things that I did bring that I thought were interesting.

Yeah.

- Great.

Well, first we're kind, kind of discussed because this is a, just a really lovely example of a lap desk.

Some people call it a writing desk, but they became very popular starting in about 1840s and 1850s.

As the Victorian era became more literate, people would obviously take a long time to travel.

Some even referred to 'em as a campaign or military, uh, box just because the correspondences that were required, um, for them being away from home.

And so really how you judge the quality of a lap desk like this is, you look at its size, its raw materials, its degree of decoration, and then the quality of the actual wood.

So I just wanted to kind of walk through some of that with you.

You said it was a, a family piece, and we see this lovely, uh, here insignia that has the date, 1888 right there.

And that was from, um, Ms. Bell Jernigan.

I think we've established that it is, - Yes.

- So given a gift from the Mexican veterans.

Do you know anything about your family with the Mexican heritage or history?

- Not a thing.

Sorry.

- Look, that's, that's why we're here.

But they would've, uh, provided that as a gift likely upon the death of her husband, um, being a veteran.

Um, and so one thing we notice, which I love, is you've got the market tree shell inlay on the top, and usually these type of writing boxes may be even just completely blank.

But then you've, you've got all these different diamond elements, you have the flower motifs, and we've got a tiara pendant, I don't think I've quite seen one this rare.

Plus you've got the beading all the way around with that shell inlay, too.

So it's a gorgeous top, and it's a fine example of that.

Now, the outside wood you can actually tell is what we call bird's eye maple.

So a lot of these were likely maple or mahogany, and we're about to see when we open it, um, the rosewood element to that.

But I can't stress enough how, um, this certainly helps with the quality and the value of a lap desk.

So let's open it here so we can kind of discuss some of these things.

- Okay.

Now this doesn't want to stay.

- So you can see an example here.

Usually lap desks like this, they're missing elements and components that are inside that actually the individuals would actually use.

And, and this, and that's a, this is, yeah.

And so you have the original, uh, purple felt.

- Mm-hmm.

This, this is purple as well on the back.

- Again, and you would combine that.

And that would be your writing surface.

And it's slanted, it, it came from kind of a professorial background that they had.

But I love the fact that this is the rose, the rosewood we're talking about here and what the purpose of these were was not only to use these in actual function writing, but they were used to store as you just discussed, some, uh, important letters, correspondences, even jewelry.

Well, one of the great things about this is the family history, so tell me a little bit what, what you found special in this box here.

- I found my husband's great-great grandfather's parole from the Civil War.

- See, so that would've been important.

That would be important to him.

So he'd want to keep that, obviously, in this box, which is a great example of that type of personal correspondence that were held in these type of objects, uh, back in this time.

And so it's great to see that it's been handed down through your family and that you've kept important memorabilia.

You've got pictures right here of your family as well.

- This is a picture of the Jernigan house.

- The Jernigan house.

- Mm-hmm.

- So this would be where the box most likely resided for a long time.

- Yes.

- Now, one thing I do see that's missing, um, and I don't know if you have it, but obviously because important things were stored in these type of boxes, they often came locked with a key.

So do you still have the key with the box?

- I had the key with the box.

And it's either in my car or it got dropped out on the way.

- Well, that is completely fine.

As long as you've got it.

- I do have it.

- You really have the whole package here.

- And it works.

- And it works.

So even better.

So if somebody could theoretically sit and still use this box, which is really special, you have any idea about the value?

- I have no idea.

- Well, I'll tell you that usually you can find a a, a pretty common lap desk anywhere from $500 to $600.

- And we are missing a, a few of the inlay pieces, right.

Just noticeable on the, which is normal for wear and tear.

- If I was born in 1850, we'd have a little wear and tear on us too.

So that's what I always say.

There's nothing wrong with actually being used, but just because of the overall quality.

Plus you've got the providence and the family history.

Obviously if your family would keep passing along, you wouldn't need to worry about selling it.

But I would say if this went to auction, anywhere from $1,200 to $1,500.

- How wonderful.

- Yeah.

So the whole package really makes this important and that provenance really gives it something.

But as I said, this top is probably one of the most prettiest lap desk I've seen, so we really appreciate you bringing it in.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you - I'm Adam Wolf Lambert, and this is my Showcase and Tell.

So when I think of Christmas, I think of toys.

Of course, being a young boy, I would get soldiers, GI Joes and stuff like that growing up.

Well, before all of that, there were these.

These are metal figures and there were soldiers.

There's Mrs. Eisenhower right here.

There were all sorts of figures.

Now these started in the 1730s.

They went that far back.

Most of them were made in Germany.

And then throughout the 18th century, 19th century and then early 20th century, a lot of the production moved to England.

And from England to America, roughly about 1950, these were replaced by plastics.

They were easier to move, uh, cheaper to make, and of course went out.

And then after the fifties, things evolved.

So we got television and we got all sorts of other games and stuff.

And so these kind of fell by the wayside.

Now these are circa about 1910 to 1950, this collection here.

This is part of a much larger collection that I have.

And the whole collection is valued roughly about $300 to $500 because of the size of it.

So these aren't real expensive.

They're just a whole lot of fun.

Imagine playing with these as a kid and you know, playing with your best friends.

It was just a great time.

And they're so cool.

The detail on him, I mean, if you look at him, you know, with the rifle in the old uniform, there were lots of fun for kids.

And again, it just takes your mind back, playing with your friends, having a great time.

Isn't that fantastic?

- The people, you know, they're bringing things to the showcase they want to have appraised.

They love it because all the people I talk to, you know, they, they're saying that they're so excited about coming.

They just grab something, you know, they should give a little more thought to it because this is going to be, uh, aired and it should be an old heirloom, you know, they have in the family and all, rather than just grab something new or whatever, because the title of the show is Antiques to start with.

So I just feel like everyone has something old, you know, that they could, could bring.

Join us next time for Mississippi Antique showcase, and see if you have a hidden treasure in your closet.