Episode 51 Flog It!

Today, we are in East Sussex in the South of England

and I'm standing in the grounds of Firle Place,

which has been home to the Gage family for the last 500 years.

So, there's plenty of tales to tell from here and from all

the other fabulous locations we plan to revisit on today's show.

Welcome to "Flog It!"

We have been to some fantastic places across the UK

and our experts and the team loved listening to your stories

and taking your gems off to auction across the country.

We visited Highcliffe Castle,

overlooking the Jurassic Coast in Dorset

and it was here that Christina Trevanion

was unsure whether this item would take off at auction.

-Is it nice be wearing a fly? I don't know.

-No.

-Do people go around swatting you, maybe?

-No.

It was in Powderham Castle in Devon, overlooking the River Exe,

that Will Axon met a special kind of collector.

-And this is part of your collection?

-Yeah, it's the only one.

-It's the only one. A large collection of one.

-That's right.

And we crossed the English border into Wales

and set up our valuation day at Margam Country Park,

just three miles from Port Talbot,

where Mark Stacey spotted

a very interesting piece.

And I think these very bright yellow pieces are gold

and overlaid in copper, depicting some sort of religious scene.

And over in East Sussex,

just down the road from the gorgeous Firle Place,

is the market town of Lewes,

which has a rich history.

If you turn back the clock to the Tudor times,

17 Protestant martyrs were burnt to their death here.

That horrific event in our history has now made this

the scene of one of Britain's most celebrated annual events.

And it always goes off with a bang.

LOUD EXPLOSION

But before that, an item sparked Adam Partridge's

interest at our valuation day at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset.

-Good morning, Mike.

-Hello.

-I believe this is a familiar location for you.

Yeah, I was manager here for five years.

-For five years.

-Five years.

Completely managing everything? What did that entail

with managing a castle like this?

I'd been involved in the restoration work

and the publicity and then in 1999, took over as manager.

So, happy memories?

-Yeah, busy memories.

-Good.

And now hopefully, this curious little object

-didn't come from the castle.

-No, this was a car-boot sale...

-two or three years ago.

-Oh, OK.

And it was a fiver, but it just doesn't fit into our collecting.

What sort of things do you collect, then, Mike?

We collect 20th-century design, stainless steel,

glass, jewellery, all sorts of things.

-Everything that's fashionable at the moment.

-That's right.

That's what's really in vogue in collecting terms at the moment.

So, this is a little Japanese bronze piece.

-What can you tell me about it?

-It's...

obviously, a flintlock. I think...

-Yeah, so you push the button.

-The little button there.

-The little one, yeah.

-I think it's late 18th, early 19th-century.

-Yeah.

-Japanese, obviously.

Japanese bronze with a little inlaid decoration.

Used as a netsuke.

-And called a walnut lighter.

-A walnut lighter.

A walnut netsuke lighter.

-Form of a walnut, made out of bronze.

-That's right.

And so, this is basically a very early example of a pocket lighter.

So, what attracted you to buying it in the first place?

-Apart from the fact it was a fiver.

-The fact it was a fiver

and it's unusual. And when I saw it, I hadn't got a clue what it was.

So, you've researched it?

It took me a little while to open it cos it was...

actually, around the edge, it didn't open.

-It was all sort of gummed up.

-Yeah.

-And how does that function?

Can you demonstrate it?

-This comes back.

-Yeah.

The flintlock comes forward and it should hold back, I think,

on a spring.

This goes back in.

As it comes down,

it would light the tinder in the little hole at the bottom.

It's very hard to date these very accurately.

When I'm looking at this hinge mechanism here,

I'm not so sure about the age of that.

I think it might be 19th, to even early 20th, but at a fiver...

I think... What I would suggest is we put it in the auction

loosely catalogued, let the market speak.

-Yeah, that's right.

-How do you feel about that?

-That's fine.

-Is that all right?

-Yeah. What, £50 estimate,

-something like that?

-Yeah, absolutely. 50 to 80 quid.

-That's lovely.

-Are you going to dare with a no-reserve?

-Cos that's what I'd suggest.

-Yeah, no reserve.

Well, it will be a good way of seeing exactly what it's worth

-on the day.

-That's right.

-Well, let's see what happens.

-Thanks for bringing that in.

-Thanks very much.

-OK. A pleasure.

Adam really found a fascinating object there.

And over at Firle Place in East Sussex,

the house is stuffed to the rafters with captivating objects too,

including a few "Flog It!" favourites.

Tea was such a precious commodity in the early part of the 18th century.

It was always kept under lock and key

and we see that in the tea caddies you show us at our valuation days,

always a little lock and a key.

Now, here at Firle Place,

we have this wonderful little teapoy, it's a little tea chest.

If I lift that up, that's where the caddy would have been.

And here, look, no exception.

Lock and key.

So, the lady of the house would have had the key

to stop any unscrupulous servants from stealing a bit.

And at our valuation day at Margam Country Park in Wales,

a cuppa was definitely on Catherine Southon's mind

when she spotted this striking tea set.

-Phil, lovely to meet you.

-And lovely to meet you.

And thank you very much for coming along to "Flog It!" today.

Now, you've brought a rather nice Art Deco set along.

Where did you get this from?

I got this from a charity shop.

Started off initially at £60.

Did it really? Cos this is only silver-plate.

Yeah, and I understood that, but I tracked it.

-You tracked it.

-I tracked it.

-Tell me about this tracking.

The next time I went, it was £30.

The time after that, a fortnight later, it was £15.

-So, it kept going down and down and down.

-And down and down.

-Persistence.

-Yeah, absolutely.

And why did you buy it?

Purely on the style. I loved the style. I like Art Deco.

And I thought, it's fairly typical of its style.

Absolutely. Well, you've hit the nail right on the head there

because it is absolutely 100% Art Deco.

I would say, probably maybe towards the end of the '30s,

so perhaps 1936, '37, that sort of era.

But the fact that it's stylised, this wonderful, tapered shape...

I love the fact that there's no decoration to it.

It's very simple.

Apart from these lovely little bands around the top

and again at the bottom.

So, we've got the teapot, the hot water jug, the milk jug

and the sugar basin, there at the front.

-Mm-hm.

-Now, you are into Art Deco, Phil.

-I love Art Deco.

I think it's one of my favourite styles. I also like Art Nouveau,

but Art Deco, I think, is my favourite.

Turning it up, there's no real names underneath.

We haven't got Mappin & Webb or a really great name, Asprey,

or something like that. So, it's not the highest quality.

-So you paid £15 for this?

-Yes.

And what do you think it's worth?

Not a lot more than that, actually.

Well, certainly nowhere near the £60 that they were asking.

No, no. Nothing like that. Nothing like that.

I would say, for this set... Because people would be buying this

purely on the style of it, just like you did.

They wouldn't be buying it because of the quality

because it's not silver, it's silver-plate.

They'd be buying it just because it's '30s, just because it's Deco.

And for that, I think you will be looking at about £30 to £50.

That will double my money, probably.

It will double your money, wouldn't it, Phil?

And it would leave you to go off and find some more goods.

Back to the charity shop.

So, if I put £30 to £50,

do you want a reserve on it of £15, which is what you paid

-or are you happy just to let it go?

-I'm happy to let it go.

Phil, that sounds good to me £30 to £50, no reserve.

We'll see what happens and hopefully,

you will have a little bit more money to go and buy some more Deco.

-Thank you very much.

-Thank you.

Back at Firle Place in East Sussex, there's still plenty to uncover.

Now, don't let this manor house with its 18th-century facade fool you.

Inside, behind the masonry, it definitely is a Tudor building.

And in some parts, it's medieval.

As soon as you get in the entrance, well, you find this staircase.

Now, on the half-landing, there's a magnificent full-length

portrait of Sir John Gage -

the first of the Gage family to live here at Firle Place.

Now, we know he had friends in very high places.

He accompanied a young Henry VIII on his first military tour of France

in 1513 and on many other military excursions throughout Henry's reign.

And during that 40 year period,

Sir John held many titles, like vice-chamberlain to the King

and in 1541, he was made Knight of the Garter.

He was held in such high esteem by Henry

that when Henry passed away in 1547, he left Sir John £200 in his will.

Now, that's a considerable amount of money.

That's the equivalent of around, £40,000 today.

The story of this family doesn't end there.

They were at the heart of some major events in English history,

some of which I'll share later on in the show.

Back at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,

we caught up with Philip Serrell,

who was quick to spot an intriguing object brought in by Myra.

I love this. You tell me what you know about it.

It was my grandmother's.

Got a feeling it might have been given to her as a wedding present.

-And when would that have been?

-Pre-First World War, certainly.

She was a cook in a big house.

So, this has been with you over 100 years.

Well, not with me, but in the family, yeah.

That's fantastic, isn't it?

It was always in her kitchen. She kept her wooden spoons in it.

And it's just sat there all my life.

-So, it's a spoon jug.

-Yeah.

Do you know what I love about things like this?

Is that you put that like that, put a hole there, bury it...

-It's the pipes they used to make.

-..bury it 3ft in the ground

-and you've got Doulton salt-glazed drainage pipes, haven't you?

-Yeah.

And then, you know, with a bit of invention, you think,

"Well, if we can make pipes,

"drainage pipes that go in the ground,

"we can sort of give it a bit of a shape, put a handle on it,

"put a bit of decoration on it, we can turn it into a jug."

-It's a lovely shape, too, isn't it?

-How cool is that? Isn't it?

So, do you know anything about these people?

I thought I did, but then I realised

that it isn't the Captain Scott I thought it was.

-You thought it was...

-The Scott of Antarctic-type Scott.

Indeedy, no.

Captain Lambton and Captain Scott were Boer War naval captains.

Ah!

-And the Handyman with these guns...

-Yeah.

..refers to all the guys that were on deck.

-Oh, I see.

-So, that's the history behind it.

-Mm-hm.

And this is Doulton, Lambeth, England

stamped up underneath.

So we know that it's sort of 1895, 1900, whenever the Boer War was.

But it's that era, but I just love it and what I think...

You know, you've got these lovely,

almost Charles Rennie Mackintosh designs here.

You know, you can almost see those in the Glasgow tea rooms, can't you?

-Yes, yes.

-That sort of stylised, flower heads, that type of thing.

But I think it's really, really cool. That's what it's all about.

-So, it's now been in the family over 100 years.

-Yeah.

-And you've decided now is the time...whoosh, out.

-Yes.

Why is that?

Well, I moved into a much smaller flat a couple years ago.

-There's just not really enough room for all my stuff.

-Yeah.

Some of it has got to go.

That's all there is to say, except what's it worth?

What do you reckon?

I was given an offer some years ago for it,

-but I know it's gone down...

-Ooh!

-I know it's gone down since then.

-Well, how much was it?

£200. But I mean, I'm well prepared for it to go down.

Well, it's sort of, kind of hard, really,

-because I think we should estimate this at 80 to 120.

-Mm-hm.

With a reserve of £80, so the estimate is 80 to 120,

-the reserve is £80.

-Yeah.

But I think we should give the auctioneer £10 discretion,

-if he needs it.

-Yeah.

The market is a little bit tough for those,

but having said that, I think

this is quite a collectible decoration on these.

So, fingers crossed, let's hope it does quite well for you.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

It's time to find out how these items did at auction,

but let's remind ourselves of what they were.

The Japanese walnut flintlock from our valuation day

at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset was such a rare find.

And the Doulton Lambeth jug

that Phillip Serrell also spotted at Highcliffe

would make a great kitchen accessory.

While the Art Deco tea set found at Margam Country Park in Wales

was simple, yet stylish in design.

First up, we head to Cottees Saleroom in Wareham in Dorset

to see how the Doulton Lambeth jug would shape up.

-John Condie was on the rostrum.

-90.

Remember, whether you are buying or selling,

at every auction, there's always commission and VAT to pay.

Right now going under the hammer, we have some Lambeth Doulton stoneware.

We've seen it on the show before,

but this one is really nicely inscribed, belonging to Myra.

Right, OK, so your wooden spoons were kept in this in the kitchen?

-My grandmother's wooden spoons.

-Oh, your grandma's.

To a collector, I think it's probably quite a rare lot

Yes, so do I. I can see this in someone's kitchen

with wooden spoons in it.

It's going under the hammer right now. Good luck.

Start at £50 for it.

50. Yes, 50 bid. Thank you.

50, I'm bid. £50.

At 50. 55. 60. 5. 70.

5, sir?

5 here. 75. 80 at the back.

85. 90.

£90, gentleman at the back at 90.

95 anywhere?

In the room at £90, then. I'm going to sell it at 90.

-Well done, Philip. £90, good estimate.

-No drama.

-No drama. No.

THEY LAUGH

Don't expect any, I've had a lovely day.

-Thank you.

-And that's the whole point of it.

Well, it's all down to you.

It was then over to Wales

to Rogers Jones & Co Saleroom in Cardiff.

Ben Rogers Jones was the auctioneer

and Phil's Art Deco tea set was up next.

Remind us, how much did you pay for this again?

-I paid £15.

-OK.

But originally, they wanted a lot more than that.

I've got to be honest, the money is irrelevant, just meeting you two

-is the pleasure.

-Aw.

-Aw.

Well, that's sweet of you. That's sweet of you.

Well, we are going to put this valuation to the test

right here, right now. It is going under the hammer. This is it.

30 to start with. Is there 5? At 35.

Oh, good. You've doubled your money.

Is there 5? 45.

And 50.

£50, gentleman's bid. The lady is out at £50.

Anybody new? At £50.

Before it goes. Hammer's up now. £50.

-That's a cracking lot for £50.

-That's brilliant.

-Well done.

-You've doubled your money.

-Paid your commission and doubled your money.

-Thank you.

-Absolutely.

You've got away with that one.

I'm glad you didn't buy it at £60, though,

-otherwise it would have been a loss.

-LAUGHING:

-Yeah, yeah.

It was then back again to Cottees Saleroom in Dorset

just in time for John Condie to sell the Japanese flintlock

belonging to Mike.

And I like the back-story to this.

You're a collector of 20th-century modern,

what, stainless steel and glass?

You're out buying one day, you're at a fair, and you came across this.

-Couldn't leave it.

-That's a good buy for a fiver.

-It's a terrific buy.

-Good return.

Have you handled many things like this?

No, not really. You don't

-really come across them.

-No, nor have I.

-You see them in books

-occasionally. I mean, it's a rarity, for sure.

-It's photographed in books

-on lighters. It's the first lighter in your collection.

-Oh, really?

-Yeah.

-It's like the Holy Grail, is it?

-I think so. I HOPE so.

We are going to find out what the bidders think right now

and hopefully, the experts online might have a clue. Here we go.

Off we go. Got interest, £60 bid.

60. 60. 70. 80. 90.

110. 120. 30. 140. 160. 180.

200. And 20. 240. 260. 280.

300. 320.

-Hey, you were right, Mike.

-I hope so.

360 now. 360. 380, make it.

At 360. All on the internet. 360.

At £360, then. That's the bid.

Selling.

-Well done, Mike.

-That's a strong price.

-That's a strong price.

-Good for a fiver.

-Yeah.

-Hey, if he could do that every day,

you'd be the happiest man on the planet. Well done, you.

He's really happy with himself, he doesn't want to show it.

-And rightly so.

-Well done, well done.

-Thank you.

And later on in the show, there are more surprises to come.

First, back at Firle Place in East Sussex,

I want to find out about an old tradition

that taps into deep-rooted religious sentiments

from the reign of Queen Mary I,

or Bloody Mary as she became known in the mid-16th century.

Earlier on in the programme, I told you about Sir John Gage,

the first of the Gage family to live here at Firle Place,

the trusted counsellor to Henry VIII.

Well, his son Edward also played a significant role

in the history of Sussex.

In 1553, Queen Mary came to the throne.

She returned England to the Catholic faith.

Edward was a staunch Catholic

and he was made High Sheriff of Sussex

in order to root out anybody with Protestant beliefs.

The town of Lewes would never forget what happened next.

During the first three years of Queen Mary's five-year reign,

up to 300 Protestant martyrs around the country were accused of heresy

and sentenced to death for their religious beliefs.

And this East Sussex town saw a lot of bloodshed.

I'm standing in the cellar of the town hall on Lewes' high street.

In fact, we are slightly underneath the high street.

That's the pavement up there through that fanlight.

Now, back in 1557, this was the Star Inn,

so this was the cellar of the pub.

And ten Sussex men and women were kept down here

in the cellar for the final few hours of their life

before they were put inside empty, tarred barrels

and burned at the stake.

It wasn't the first time this had happened either.

Seven other locals met a similar fate in the previous two years.

Now, that fanlight is a Victorian replacement for what would

have been two very heavy oak trap doors

that would open up like that to let the beer barrels

come rolling down here into the cellar.

Instead of that happening, those doors opened up

and these poor ten were led up these very steps

to the assembled masses gathered in the road above.

On 22nd July 1557,

the ten unfortunate Protestants were burnt at the stake

in what was one of the largest human bonfires the country has ever seen.

BELLS TOLL

FIRECRACKERS POP

Today, on the 5th of November,

the town of Lewes has one of the largest bonfire celebrations

in the country.

However, as well as remembering Guy Fawkes' failed Gunpowder Plot,

the town also uses this historic date

to honour the 17 Protestant martyrs who burned for their beliefs

and to remember their sacrifice.

There are no fireworks today,

but here on Lewes' high street

where the main procession takes place,

I've come to meet local photographer Tom Reeves...

..who, like his ancestors before him, takes part in the celebrations.

His studio started with his great-grandfather in 1858.

And they have captured many early

photographs of the high street.

But on Bonfire Night, the camera is put down,

because Tom plays an active role in the festivities.

-Hi, Tom.

-Good to see you.

-And you.

I feel like I'm stepping back in time walking through that passage.

-I know how you feel, yes.

-Love the shop front as well.

-Now, it says Edward on the door.

-It does.

Family-run business, obviously. What generation are you?

I'm the fourth generation. Edward was great-granddad.

He moved in here in 1858, and that's when we started taking pictures.

-Gosh, and you haven't moved ever since.

-No, we've never moved.

-Never felt the need. No.

-Well, you're a resident.

You actually live on the high street where it all happens.

-Do you personally get involved?

-I am a member of the Bonfire Society.

I go out and hold a torch on the 5th.

I don't really go out photographing because I'd much rather go out

and blow things up.

But, yeah, I think most people get involved in some way or another.

DRUMS BANG

Over the centuries in Lewes,

the celebrations on Bonfire Night have evolved.

And today, thousands of local people take part.

DRUMS BANG

17 burning crosses are held aloft in remembrance of the 17

Protestants who, over 400 years ago, were burned to death in the town.

DRUMS BANG

PEOPLE SHOUT FIREWORKS CRACK

-What actually happens during the march?

-It's a long evening.

It starts... The first procession is about 5.00.

And it goes through to the last procession just around midnight.

-Do you dress up?

-We do. I mean, there's a variety of costumes.

The majority of people are smugglers.

In other words, we have stripy jumpers, white trousers,

neckerchiefs and hats. But there are also

what they call the Pioneer front.

We have a Viking front to our procession, which is

a wonderful thing where people actually become Vikings.

Other societies have Red Indians and Zulus and it sounds a bit odd,

to be honest. But it goes back into the mists of time.

And it's a very benevolent kind of

portrayal of whatever we're doing.

And it becomes some people's lives.

They start preparation for one year, the day after the previous year.

So what it's really about is for the community to come

together on that one day of the year and really celebrate.

That's absolutely right.

I've always thought that it's the glue that holds Lewes together.

It's a great leveller. You look in the processions

and there is the milkman marching alongside the accountant.

You know, everybody is the same in their costumes and it's great,

and therefore everybody knows each other.

Why do you think Lewes remembers the martyrs so strongly?

I think it's just part of Lewes history.

Not every town has had multiple burnings in the town centre so...

-Um, it's a fairly horrible remembrance...

-Yeah.

..but I think it's important to remember that sort of sacrifice.

FIREWORKS CRACK AND BANG

Up to 80,000 people are drawn here each year to see this

powerful show of defiance, independence and commemoration,

before Lewes returns once again into a quiet, unassuming town.

It's time to get back to our tour of places we have visited this

series and some of the gems we spotted along the way.

And over at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,

Christina Trevanion was a busy bee.

Yes, it's very appropriate that we've got this fly buzzing around

-in this wonderful garden, isn't it?

-Yes.

-Very, very appropriate.

Tell me, where's he flown in from?

A friend of mine, his aunt died, and he cleared out her flat

-and jewellery. And he gave the brooch to me.

-Ah, well.

-But I haven't worn it.

-Is it nice to be wearing a fly? I don't know.

-People go around swatting you, maybe.

-No.

-That's why I haven't worn it.

-Not very nice, would it?

Swatting people wearing fly brooches.

We've got here a little Victorian

fly or bee brooch, set throughout.

We've got this wonderful sort of turquoise and pearl combination.

Now, if you imagine when this was made,

it was made in the Victorian era, so we're talking 1870, 1880,

which was the sort of height of,

if you think of the Pre-Raphaelite movement,

think of looking back to nature.

It was when the Industrial Revolution was really starting,

and you've got these big mill towns churning out billowing smoke.

Everyone was escaping to the countryside

and looking back to nature and organic items.

So it was very much an item of its time.

And if you look at the detail on him, you can

see quite how beautifully he's made.

Each of his little leggies has got

this wonderful foot on the end of it.

You'll see the two eyes there and the wings set throughout as well.

If we look at the back,

we can see that they are actually complete seed pearls,

rather than split seed pearls.

That will make it slightly more valuable than if they'd

been seed pearls that had just been cleaved, ie cut in half and set.

And it's claw set throughout in this yellow metal.

Now, frustratingly, despite having had a really good look,

all around our little bee/fly -

maybe we'll call him a bee with an identity crisis -

I can't see any marks on him whatsoever.

But I am 99.9999999% sure that this is gold.

It will either be nine or 15 carat gold.

To be perfectly honest, the colour at the back,

that colour there, would say to me that it's probably 15 carat gold.

-Oh, right.

-Which is obviously slightly higher grade

than nine carat gold.

And I think he's lovely. I think he's really, really lovely.

I'm very sad that you don't wear him.

-I do wear brooches but I don't...

-You do wear brooches!

-Not that one.

Yes, that's a bit blingy as well. Look at that one. Wow. What's wrong?

What did he say to you? He'd go beautifully with your T-shirt. Look!

Well, he would, yes. The colours are right but...

-Yes, absolutely.

-..the content isn't.

I mean we're finding at the moment that brooches are a little

bit of a sticky wicket.

So they're not as popular perhaps as

-if he was earrings or a pendant...

-No, no.

..which possibly are more wearable.

I think at auction he stands a good chance of maybe making £40 to £60.

-How do you feel about that?

-Well, that's fine. If that's...

-Would that be all right...

-Yes, yes.

-..do we think?

I mean if we said £40 to £60, maybe with a reserve of £30,

-should we need it.

-Yes.

-Cos we don't want it to go for nothing, do we?

-No, no, no.

And hopefully he'll buzz off and find a new home somewhere.

-Yes, let's hope so, yeah.

-Brilliant. Thank you for bringing him in.

-OK, that's lovely, thank you.

-She got my joke.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, BEEhave, Christina.

Now over at Powderham Castle in Devon,

Will Axon had a find that was sure to shine at auction.

So, tell me, who's the collector out of you two, the coin collector?

-Andrew.

-Well, collector am I.

-And this is part of your collection?

-Yes, it's the only one.

-The only one. A large collection of one?

-That's right.

-Well, exactly.

-Well, every collection's got to start somewhere, hasn't it?

-And end.

Sue, I'm sensing from you, you're not keen.

Tell me, what do you think of the coin?

It's a lovely-looking coin,

but at the end of the day, it just sits in the drawer, doing nothing.

So what drew you to gold coins?

Well, in my case, it was just helping a friend out.

He was a photographer that used to work for me

-doing shots of hairdressing work that I did.

-Yes?

And he had this Krugerrand, and I guess he was a bit hard up

and asked me if I wanted to buy it.

And so...

-..I did.

-You thought you'd help him out and...

-That's right.

Can you disclose what you paid for it, or is it a well-kept secret?

I'd be quite happy to, but it was about 25 to 30 years ago,

and my memory doesn't stretch that far back.

Oh, yeah, good answer. Well done.

-Now, the Krugerrand is, as it says on there, 1oz of gold.

-Uh-huh.

It's a good, clean ounce of gold. It says pure,

about 22 carat I think, aren't they? 22 carat gold.

And the name Krugerrand, any idea where that came from?

South Africa, as far as I can tell.

It is South African, you're quite right.

President Kruger, late 19th century, and the rand,

obviously the South African currency.

So the Kruger rand. And the reason for turning South African gold

into these coins was to generate a collectable market for them,

to make South African gold more commercial. Now,

price of gold up and down. At the moment,

I value this at £600 to £800.

You wouldn't go to seven?

So you are looking for that mid-figure there? 700?

-Yeah, I think seven.

-Well, I'll tell you what. I'll agree to 700...

-Right.

-..if you can give us a little bit of discretion.

So if it gets to within a bid, say it gets to 680,

for the sake of not selling it...

-Then I'd go ahead, yeah. Yeah.

-OK, so it's £700 to £900.

It's right on the limit,

but you never know what's going to happen on the day.

-And I think it's worth a go.

-Right.

And if it isn't, at the end of the day, it fits in your pocket,

you can take it home. And what's the money going to go on?

-Or should I be asking Sue?

-No, it's Andrew's.

Well, I think I'm going to put it towards holiday,

although, in fact, Sue suggested I might even buy another guitar.

-He's a guitar player as well?

-Yeah.

You're a man of many talents, aren't you?

It's been a pleasure to meet you.

-Well done, Sue, pleasure to meet you.

-Thank you.

The walls of Firle Place

in East Sussex are full of interesting characters.

And there's one more descendant of the Gage family

I want to tell you about.

This story is set at another crucial moment in our history,

when Britain ruled America.

Now, here is a map of New York City, drawn up in 1766.

You're probably wondering, why is it here at Firle in Sussex?

Well, I can tell you.

Because it belonged to this chap, General Thomas Gage.

Now, he was a commander of the British Army in North America,

but he was also a descendant of the Gage family here at Firle.

He was given the freedom of the city in New York in 1773.

Everybody loved him, but things would change.

This was the beginning of the American War of Independence.

Now, he ordered the map to be drawn up after a revolt

due to tax rises in 1765.

He ordered a survey of the city

and a map to be drawn which would feature military manoeuvres,

and it was done quickly and quietly under the air of revolt.

General Gage was recalled to England in the autumn of 1775

to consult with the British government.

In fact, he never returned to America.

The war was advanced by other British generals.

But this map is one of the first maps of New York,

and it exists because of this man here.

Now we're off to Margam Country Park in Wales,

where Mark Stacey served us up a treat.

Les, you've brought a rather wonderful Eastern dish in to

-show us. How long have you had it?

-I've had it 30 years now.

-30 years?

-Where did you get it from, Leslie?

-My aunt worked in service for

-jewellers in Swansea...

-Did she?

When the old man died,

the lady of the house left it to my aunt.

They were Jewish. They were a Jewish family.

-A Jewish family, were they?

-Yeah.

Because it is quite an interesting piece.

I mean, at first, when you look at something like this, it's very

easy to dismiss it as one of these pieces you would find in a souk.

You know, it's brass. It's well worked.

And you could just overlook it,

until you look at the detail of it,

which you'll have had a chance to study, of course, for many years.

I mean, fundamentally, what you have is a sort of beaten brass tray

which is overlaid in white metal.

And I think these very bright yellow pieces are gold and overlaid

in copper, depicting some sort of religious scene, I think, here.

-Yeah.

-And you've then got this sort of Arabic-type fencing.

-What I make of it is old Hebrew.

-So you think it's...

I believe it is, yeah.

The more I look at it now, I think you've got a point there.

-Could it be a sacrificial plate or something?

-It could be.

I mean, I just don't know.

I mean, I think when this was made, times were different.

People wanted to have things around them that gave them comfort

and showed their religion,

which is not so much what we have around us today.

It's a very, very interesting piece.

When you look in detail, there's an awful lot going on here,

the animals and the birds and the figures.

The other difficulty with these sort of pieces is -

how do you date them?

Because, you know, most of the ones we've seen were probably

made, you know, 20 years ago. This to me certainly looks 19th century.

And it could possibly be made earlier than that.

And it has a certain appeal to me

because I think it's rather interesting.

I don't know why I think that.

I just think there's something about it, it speaks to me.

Now you've got to plump for some sort of estimate, and I would

probably suggest putting it in at £300 to £400

with a fixed reserve of 300.

-Yeah.

-And I would hope that if,

because I know you rate it and I rate it, I think

that if we are right, the potential of it is for more than that.

-But we have to protect it with some sort of reserve.

-Yeah.

-Would you be happy with that?

-Yes, yes.

-In the drawer, it is, you know, like.

-I think there will be

a lot of collectors out there for this. I hope so.

-Let's find out at the auction, shall we?

-Brilliant, marvellous.

We'll go for it.

Well, that was our final item.

Now it's time to find out how they fared at auction.

But first, let's remind yourself what they were.

Did this Krugerrand spotted at Powderham Castle in Devon

bring in the money?

And at Highcliffe Castle in Dorset,

was it time for this brooch to buzz off?

And what about the religious brass plate Mark Stacey found at

Margam Country Park in Wales?

He was keen to see if it would draw in the collectors at auction.

The first stop was Plymouth,

to Eldreds Auctioneers.

Anthony Eldred was wielding the gavel over Andrew's Krugerrand.

Going under the hammer right now, we have some 22 carat gold with

a bit of a difference.

It belongs to Sue and Andrew, and it's a 1972

South African Krugerrand.

Had you done some homework on this

and had a preferred figure or did you take guidance from Will?

-No, I took guidance from Will.

-OK.

It's very tight on that bottom figure, isn't it,

to what it's actually worth bullion?

Let's put it to the test. Let's find out what the bidders think.

This one could be tight, but fingers crossed. Here we go.

600 bid for it.

At £600. 10 if you want it.

At 600. And 10. 620.

Yes, there's someone in the room.

630. 640.

650. At 650 now.

660.

670.

680 now.

At £680 here.

At £680, I'm bid.

Are you happy with that? He's selling it.

680? Quite sure, then, at 680?

I think he used a bit of discretion there.

Just. He did, he did. £680, sold.

-Yes!

-On the nose.

-Just, just.

-I thought it would be close.

-Yeah, we called it.

-Yeah.

Next stop, Wareham in Dorset. We're at Cottees Saleroom.

John Condie was the auctioneer.

We were about to find out

if the brooch valued by Christina Trevanion had wings.

Well, sadly, our next owner Liz cannot BEE here,

but we do have her item, and it's that lovely brooch.

Now, is it a fly, or is it a bee?

Bees make more money.

Yeah, it's more commercial if it's a bee, isn't it?

People called Beatrice and Bernice would buy a bee, wouldn't they?

Napoleon liked his bees.

This is true, Bonaparte. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

You know, I think the bee is the sting in the tail.

We're going to do a proper job for Liz right now and sell this.

-Exactly.

-It's not a lot of money. £40 to £60.

-It's going under the hammer.

-Exactly.

And I can start that one at £15.

15 is bid.

20.

25.

30.

35.

40.

45.

50.

£50 bid on the little brooch. £50.

50.

55, anyone else coming in?

It's £50 then on the little brooch?

50?

-Selling it, last chance.

-Brilliant.

-Top end of the estimate. Well done, you.

-She'll be delighted with that.

Liz will be, for her Victorian brooch, £50.

And it's sad that she couldn't

BEE here. I like that.

Finally, we went back to Wales

to Rogers Jones & Co Saleroom in Cardiff.

We had a religious brass plate to sell

and Ben Rogers Jones would be the man to "Flog It!".

Les, I think this is a first on "Flog It!" for us.

We've not seen a brass plate, a religious one like this,

inlaid with copper, silver and gold as well.

So it's mixed metals really. There's a lot going on.

It is, it's a very interesting piece, Paul, actually.

-You put a value of £300 to £400 on this.

-That's right.

We've got a discretionary reserve at £300.

We could sell it for 10% less.

Les, why are you selling this?

For 38 years I've enjoyed it

-and I mean it doesn't suit my decor at the moment.

-OK.

It's just something you don't really need and

you want to sell on. You could do with the money.

I'll invest it in a motorbike.

Oh, you'll invest it in a motorbike? Oh, good for you! HE LAUGHS

Have some fun on the bike.

Right, let's put this valuation to the test.

It's going under the hammer now, Les. Good luck. This is it.

373. Very decorative. Straight in I go at £300.

Is there 20 at £300?

And 20 and 40?

-60.

-Oh, this is, yeah. This is right.

At 380. 400.

-£400. Is there 20?

-Brilliant.

Chasing it fast.

Online the bid. £400. Anybody in the room?

420, 440, 460.

I thought this was going to do this, Paul.

-460.

-Yeah.

Fair warning, then, 460.

All done at 460.

Anybody in the room before it goes at 460.

Last call then, 460.

And the hand, 480.

500.

-550.

-Oh, we're rounding it off now, Les. You can see that bike arriving.

600.

£600. And 50.

700. All done?

-700.

-700.

-At the back, 50.

800.

-Oh, yes.

-50.

-900.

-Wonderful. Come on, let's get 1,000.

Coming back, £900.

-1,000.

-£1,000.

-Oh, brilliant.

We are at £1,200.

1,300.

1,400.

1,500.

£1,500!

1,600.

-I've got plenty of time.

-Well done.

-1,700.

-Well done, you, Les, for keeping it.

-1,800. 1,900.

-£1,900! I can't believe it.

£2,000.

2,200.

2,200.

Fair warning. 2,200. All done.

You've had your time. Here we go.

-At £2,200.

-That's a brilliant result.

Les, I think you got that motorbike!

Right arm. That deserves a round of applause.

Thank you so much for bringing it in.

That was special. That really was great.

And I'm so thrilled for you because you want a bike, you know, and

-you've been saving up for one, and now you can afford one.

-Yes.

-I can see myself now.

-Yes! Cruising!

Cruising along the West Coast of Wales,

taking in all of that scenery.

I couldn't think of anything better.

Les, enjoy that, enjoy that bike and well done. What a result!

That's what we love to see on "Flog It!".

Such a fantastic and surprising result.

Our interest was piqued,

and after the auction, we got in touch with the buyer of Les's plate

who told us they believed it was very rare, early 20th century.

And contains both Jewish and Persian sentiments.

The figure in the centre is Solomon, the King of Israel

and the son of David who, according to the Koran, would talk to animals.

Hence, he's shown on the plate as surrounded by animals,

including a peacock which is perched on his head.

There are two types of script running around the side

of the plate.

Ancient Arabic Kufic calligraphy

and the old Persian Timurid.

So there you go. We're always surprised by what turns up on a

"Flog It!" valuation day.

Well, that's it for today's show.

I've had a wonderful time here at Firle Place,

exploring the house and finding out

about the fascinating stories of some of the people who lived here.

I hope you've enjoyed the show as well,

so until the next time, it's goodbye.