Civil War Battlefield Artifact, ca. 1865
GUEST:
Well, I brought in a log that was purportedly cut from the limb of a tree that was on the Gettysburg battlefield.
APPRAISER:
When did you get it?
GUEST:
My father traded for it at a trading post in Carlsbad, New Mexico, around 1965.
APPRAISER:
What did he trade for it?
GUEST:
A Zenith transoceanic radio.
APPRAISER:
What was the radio worth at that time?
GUEST:
Probably about $50.
APPRAISER:
What we've got is something that brings home the magnitude of war. This is a tree from the battlefield, and each one of these pieces is shrapnel or a piece from a musket. And, as you look around, it hit it from almost every angle. And you think a skinny little tree like that was getting hit that much, there's no place to hide. It's spectacular. You have musket balls, and if you notice on this side, we have a piece of iron. That's a piece from a cannon projectile. That's an actual piece that blew apart and embedded in the tree.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And what's wonderful about this, it was cut down years later. When did he say he thought it was cut down?
GUEST:
Between 1904 and 1907.
APPRAISER:
The tree was still alive, and the tree tries to heal itself. And if you notice, the knots, they can't push it out, so it grows around it.
GUEST:
How are you sure that this came from Gettysburg?
APPRAISER:
Unfortunately, we can't tell.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
Sometimes you'll see where they'll paint the name of the battle on the tree. But without it, you have to do a verbal history.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
And it will always be attributed to, not identified to.
GUEST:
I see. So even though we can't be sure it came from Gettysburg, we can be sure that it was around that time period.
APPRAISER:
Because of what shot into it.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
Because they're still using the lead balls, we have the iron from the shell, and if you notice, it's a thin shell. It's probably out of a round projectile, and that size is more than likely a thin-walled six-pound cannonball.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
It's a great piece of history. Have you ever had it appraised?
GUEST:
Uh, I have not. My father said a few years ago a gentleman mentioned to him he thought that the value was about $800, but that was a number of years ago.
APPRAISER:
It's all in the eye of the beholder, because a lot of people look at it and they say, "That's just an old hunk of wood." It's not an old hunk of wood. It's a piece of American history. And this piece of American history would retail today between $2,000 and $3,000.
GUEST:
Wow. Awesome.
APPRAISER:
You'll see the small size pieces, just the little small ones that'll have one bullet in them, and they'll bring $50 to $100.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
This one, because you have so many projectiles striking such a small space, that's one of the reasons this gets up to that kind of value.
GUEST:
I see.
APPRAISER:
It got my heart beating when I saw it. (laughs)
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.