An Antiques Roadshow expert was astounded after seeing a collection of objects dating back 554 years.
The newest edition of the long-running series saw the experts return to Pollock Park in Glasgow, where members of the public brought their precious things for valuation.
One of those individuals was a man who purchased a collection of prints, including one dated 1485.
Admitting he wasn’t really interested in the individuals displayed on the page, the man stated that the typography had piqued his curiosity.
He added that his wife bought the first print as a’special treat’ when he became interested in printing and fonts while working in the print sector.
Over time, his collection had expanded to include centuries-old prints from Germany, France, Italy, and England.
Host Fiona Bruce described rare, early books as a ‘wonderful find’, particularly those from printing pioneers who introduced the Bible to the people in Western Europe in the 1400s.
Matthew Haley, a books and manuscripts expert, was evidently pleased, describing them as ‘simply magnificent’.
‘This is pretty much the oldest printed thing we will see on Antiques Roadshow,’ he said.
‘This sheet of paper was printed in 1470, 500 years ago,’ he told the waiting crowd.
Speaking about the publishing of the Gutenberg Bible in 1455, Matthew said it was ‘seminal in the history of the human race’.
‘Without printing we wouldn’t have had the Reformation,’ he said.
‘It’s like the explosion that happened when the internet came on the scene.
‘This was happening in the 1450s, 1460s and 1470s.’
Looking through the goods, Matthew characterised what he saw as ‘pure gold dust’ and ‘phenomenal’.
One of the most notable objects was a sheet printed by William Caxton, the first person to print in England in 1482.
That single sheet was thought to be valued between £600 and £1,000.
Giving his final appraisal, Matthew stated that the complete collection might sell between £5,000 and £10,000.
Antiques Roadshow airs Sundays at 7pm on BBC One.
Source My Celebrity Life.
