Elias Pelletreau Silver Teapot, ca. 1750
Watch
GUEST:
It's come down mother to daughter since it was made. My aunt gave it to me because she didn't have a daughter.
APPRAISER:
Well, it was made in the 18th century on Long Island by Elias Pelletreau, who was a Huguenot silversmith who was working in the middle of the 18th century right through the Revolutionary Period. Of course, teapots from the Revolutionary Period are always small. Tea was very expensive in the 18th century, and every prosperous American family, just like their counterparts in England, wanted to have tea. After the revolution and the Boston Tea Party, tea became less popular, and a lot of the more patriotic families bought coffee pots instead. But this dates, I would say, from the period just before the revolution, probably about 1760, 1765. Now, one thing to bear in mind is that just because an object is marked "E.P." doesn't mean to say that it's by the famous Elias Pelletreau. There are lots of pieces made in the 19th century, 100 years ago, in silver plate, and they were stamped "E.P.," which in fact means "electroplate." So it's a bit of a-- a word of warning there, because Elias Pelletreau was not prolific. He didn't make more than 100 or so pieces during his lifetime. On the base, with the maker's mark, there's also some initials which look like they are contemporary with the teapot. Do you know who these are?
GUEST:
David and Phoebe.
APPRAISER:
Okay, and they're your ancestors?
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
Okay. Probably originally this was part of a set. There were probably a creamer and sugar bowl that went with it.
GUEST:
Well, yes, I know there was a creamer.
APPRAISER:
Tea sets get split up, flatware sets get split up. And it's a shame, actually, from the, just the sheer value point of view, because tea sets are always worth a premium if they're complete. But, in any event, a single teapot by Elias Pelletreau like this is quite a significant piece. It's obviously had quite a bit of tea in it, as you can see, but still, it has a really nice color. The patina's very nice. And the fact that it's come down in the family adds to its price. And I would say, at the moment, this is worth somewhere in the region of $20,000, probably.
GUEST:
That's nice to know. (laughs)
APPRAISER:
But obviously worth far more to you as a piece of family.
GUEST:
Yes, I'm not about to let it go. I have a daughter who has two daughters herself, so we'll see if it will go down that way.
APPRAISER:
So it can keep going down in the family?
GUEST:
Mm-hmm, yes.
APPRAISER:
Good.
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.
