Late 18th C. American School Mini Portraits
Watch
GUEST:
This is my great-great- great-great-grandparents, Mary Dark and Joseph Ike Manning. They were from Virginia. They were born around 1770. He lived till he was about 46 and she lived till her 60s. And they've been passed down through my family for generations, and that's about all I know about them.
APPRAISER:
What I love about these miniatures is that they're 18th-century miniatures, and in my business, we see more 19th-century miniatures.
GUEST:
Yeah.
APPRAISER:
And they're quite beautiful. You see her costume and the beautiful dress and the bonnet. And he, too, with his beautiful tie and stoic expression. They're really well done and they're very intimate pictures. And they were probably made as wedding gifts to each other.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
What's so nice is that they have remained together. Often we see splits, and it's, it's very different to see a pair of miniatures. Another element which I really like about them is that they're from Virginia. They're wonderful examples and very typical of 18th-century miniatures. I don't recognize the hand, and if they were to come to auction, I would catalogue them as American School. Singularly, each miniature would be worth about $2,000 to $3,000, but as they're a pair, I would give them an insurance value of about $9,000.
GUEST:
(chuckles) Wow! That's great.
APPRAISER:
They're really lovely, and I think that they're obviously a key to a good marriage. They've stayed together for near... For more than 200 years like that.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Now, one thing that strikes me; if you wouldn't mind taking off your glasses. 'Cause you look so similar. I mean, there's a very strong family resemblance that has remained throughout. You look exactly like him.
GUEST:
Okay.
Appraisal Details
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
