Wurflein Derringer, ca. 1860
Watch
GUEST:
That came from my father-in-law's collection. He's a teller of tall tales and he tells us that's the same model that killed Lincoln, but we have no way of knowing that.
APPRAISER:
But what did he mean by the same model?
GUEST:
The same type of gun.
APPRAISER:
So, he wasn't saying that it was the one that killed Lincoln?
GUEST:
He did not say that. We've looked for it in books. Some of the books had a value of maybe $600 on them. And this has been some time ago, and other than that, we know nothing about it.
APPRAISER:
Lincoln was killed with a .44-caliber Deringer pistol made by Henry Deringer. This pistol is actually made by a man by the name of Andrew Wurfflein, who was also active in Philadelphia up about the same time that Deringer was, until the late 1860s. He was making pistols in exactly the same style as Deringer.
GUEST:
So this one is not a Deringer, then?
APPRAISER:
It's not a Deringer, but it's exactly the same style. The pistol was made sometime in the 1850s, 1860s.
GUEST:
Okay, we had that right.
APPRAISER:
Again, in line with when Lincoln was assassinated in '65. So he wasn't really telling a tall tale because, other than the fact that it has Wurfflein's name on it, it would look exactly like the one that killed Lincoln, okay?
GUEST:
I'll give him credit for that.
APPRAISER:
What intrigued me more, other than the fact that it's a Wurfflein derringer is the mark here on the top of the lock, where it says, "TF Guion, NO." Thomas Guion provided gentlemen's furnishings, and included in those furnishings were firearms. The "NO" stands for "New Orleans." These derringers are highly collectible, and the derringer collectors look for all sorts of scarce variants, and particularly, they like ones that were marked by agents representing the Philadelphia gun makers in the South. And Guion is a fairly scarce agent. The issues that the pistol have is that, you see, there's some loss to the wood. There's a loss to the barrel retaining plate, here. And what I've noticed also is that the trigger guard, it's a replacement.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
And so at some point or other, the trigger guard had broken off and they replaced it with that. So, you say your research indicates that it could be worth about $600? So what do you think I'm going to say?
GUEST:
(laughing) I don't know. You've got my curiosity up now.
APPRAISER:
Again, the issue is the repair, but even in this condition, I think the pistol is probably worth, at auction, somewhere around $1,500 to $2,500.
GUEST:
Okay, my wife was right, then. I've got to give her credit for that.
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.
