10 Most Expensive Silver Objects Shown on ‘Antiques Roadshow’

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(STACKER) — For more than 5,000 years, dating back to Anatolia in 3000 B.C.E., silver has been mined and sold as a precious commodity around the world. People first used the metal for coins and jewelry, but in the 1700s, silversmiths in Europe and the American colonies popularized silver household items, including coffee pots, teapots and sugar bowls. This display of wealth continues to this day, with luxury retailers like Tiffany & Co. selling high-quality sterling silver goods since the mid-1800s and Vogue naming silver one of the top “interior design trends of the moment” by 2024.

For 45 years, “Antiques Roadshow” has charmed viewers who wondered what valuables — perhaps a silver pitcher, punch bowl or vase — they might have stashed in their attic or china cabinet. SD Bullion compiled a ranking of the 10 most valuable silver items seen on the U.S. version of “Antiques Roadshow,” using data from PBS. Items were ranked by their average appraisal value on the show. Auction, retail and insurance values ​​were weighted equally and recorded with each appraisal.

The network’s most-watched show, described as “part adventure, part history lesson, and part treasure hunt,” drew an estimated 5 million viewers per week in 2023. The premise is simple: Top appraisers visit cities across the country to provide free estimates on antiques, collectibles, and heirlooms, sharing facts about each piece. By weighing factors like the item’s condition and market trends, they provide a snapshot of the item’s value depending on their expertise, whether they’re an auctioneer or an antique shop owner.

Read on to discover more about the most expensive silver objects ever seen in the series.

#8. 1745 Jacob Hurd cream jug (tie)

– Value: $30,000 to $50,000 (auction)
– Appraiser: Jeanne Sloane
– Episodes: Vintage New York (#2020), New York, hour 3 (#0606), Roadshow Remembers (#1017)

This family heirloom, passed down from the owner’s great-aunt, is one of an estimated 15 remaining in the United States. This creamer, made by famed Boston silversmith Jacob Hurd, is even more valuable for the decorative scenes engraved on its sides. Borders next to images of ducks and houses increased its estimated auction value when the creamer was appraised at the show in 2001. A similar piece made by Jacob Hurd the same year (circa 1745) sold at Christie’s three years later in 2004 for $113,525.

#8. 1920 Kalo silver service (tie)

– Value: $30,000 to $50,000 (auction)
– Appraiser: Reid Dunavant
– Episode: Birmingham, Hour 2 (#1911)

This silver service, equal in value to the Jacob Hurd Creamer, was commissioned by the owner’s grandfather as a gift for his wife. The set was made by the Kalo Shop in Chicago, a major player in the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 20th century, which favored handmade items over machine-made pieces. Not only is it rare to find such a large silver service, but this set also features ivory accents and a family monogram. It is accompanied by sketches of the planning process.

#8. 1890 Russian enamelled silver punch bowl and ladle (tie)

– Value: $40,000 (retail)
– Appraiser: not available
– Episode: Minneapolis, Hour 1 (#1616)

The owner of this silver punch bowl and ladle with inlaid floral motifs inherited it from his mother. The colorful enamel is known as cloisonné, a method of melting glass paste between thin strips of wire. The maker’s mark has been crossed out on the bottom of the piece, perhaps by someone who wanted to pass it off as a more expensive Fabergé set, worth up to $150,000. However, a mark indicating 84 silver remains.

#7. 1880 Tiffany & Co. silver pitcher

– Value: $25,000 to $60,000 (insurance)
– Appraiser: Christopher Barber
– Episode: Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, hour 2 (#2814)

Purchased in London by the owner’s grandfather around 1950, this water jug ​​was made in the late 1800s, when Tiffany & Co.’s craftsmanship was winning awards at world’s fairs from Paris to Philadelphia. What makes this piece especially valuable is its unique shape and flowing design, which was only common from 1879 to 1887, when master silversmith Charles Osborne worked for the company. The name “Henderson” is engraved on the bottom, suggesting that a specific person or family commissioned the piece.

#6. 1814 Paul Storr silver wine cooler

– Value: $40,000 to $60,000 (auction)
– Appraiser: David Walker
– Episode: Little Rock, Hour 3 (#2006)

This wine cooler, purchased by a jeweler for just $1,000 in 1990, was made by one of England’s greatest silversmiths, Paul Storr. This vessel is one of a pair designed by Storr’s frequent partner, the English sculptor John Flaxman, who was also known for his work for Wedgwood. The image on the side is Flaxman’s interpretation of the work of the ancient Greek poet Theocritus. If both wine coolers were to remain together, the pair is estimated to bring $100,000-$150,000 at auction.

#5. Silver dinnerware and chest of drawers set from 1900

– Value: $60,000 to $80,000 (insurance)
– Appraiser: Frank Boos
– Episodes: Vintage Tucson (#2019), Tucson, Hour 2 (#0602), Greatest Finds (#0814)

While the value of this 13-piece set has dropped since it was originally featured on the show in 2001, when it had an insurance estimate of $100,000 to $110,000, it’s still high enough in 2016 to land in the top five on this list. The lavishly detailed collection includes a tray, three jars, a sugar bowl, a creamer, a cup and saucer, a candlestick, and more. All of the pieces in this set, which has remained in one family for a century, were made by two Baltimore companies: Gorham Silver Company and Jacobi & Jenkins.

#4. 1912 Ivan Khlebnikov jewelry box

– Value: $70,000 to $90,000 (auction)
– Appraiser: Sarah Shinn Pratt
– Episode: Vintage Savannah (#2220)

The value of this early 20th century jewelry box has increased dramatically between its original airing on the show in 2003, when it had a mere $10,000 to $15,000 auction estimate, and this updated valuation 15 years later. A Cyrillic inscription on the inside, dated 1912, and a maker’s mark along the rim confirm that the case is one of the masterpieces of Russian silversmith Ivan Khlebnikov. Rounded, polished gemstones, known as cabochons, and intricate engraving make this jewelry box, which opens in two places for ample storage, quite valuable.

#3. 1900 Gorham ‘Martelé’ tea and coffee set

– Value: $90,000 (insurance)
– Appraiser: Stuart Whitehurst
– Episode: Washington, Hour 1 (#1516)

This sterling silver tea and coffee set was made by one of Tiffany & Co.’s biggest competitors, a Providence, Rhode Island-based manufacturer named Gorham. The set consists of seven pieces: a large tray, kettle, coffee pot, teapot, sugar bowl, creamer, and a container for holding loose tea. This particular line, “Martelé,” a French term meaning “to hammer,” became popular in the early 20th century with the rise of the Art Nouveau movement.

#2. 1893 Tiffany & Co. World’s Fair Vase

– Value: $100,000 to $150,000 (auction)
– Appraiser: Ronald Bourgeault
– Episodes: Tearjerkers (#2522), Madison, Hour 2 (#1408)

This unique vase, passed down from the owner’s great-uncle, is made of sterling silver decorated with vibrant enamel, American turquoise, and various other stones. The stamp on the bottom indicates that this unique piece was made by Tiffany & Co. for the 1893 World’s Fair, also known as the Columbian Exposition. The vase has only increased in value since it was first appraised at the show for $50,000 to $100,000 in 2009.

#1. Tea and coffee silver

– Value: $25,000 to $700,000 (auction)
– Appraiser: Reid Dunavant
– Episode: Richmond, Hour 1 (#1816)

This episode examines notable 18th-century pieces from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, including a teapot made around 1790 by Paul Revere (pictured left) with an estimated value of $120,000. English coffee pots like the one at right, made by French silversmith Paul de Lamerie in 1738, have sold for around $25,000. The American coffee pot in the center, however, is far more valuable than its English counterpart. Only 14 known pieces like it were made by New York silversmith Myer Myers in the 1760s, driving previous sales prices to more than $120,000.

This story originally appeared on SD Bullion and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.