APPRAISER: I have a feeling you may know approximately what these are, because you're a collector, is that right?

GUEST: Yes, that's correct.

Um, there's a pair of English castors that I bought at the antique dealer in Baltimore City.

APPRAISER: And, do you like to put them in a period, do you... GUEST: Um, I've d... I've dated them uh... just around the late part of the 17th century.

APPRAISER: Ah.

Um, well, they, the form is actually a typical 18th century form.

GUEST: Mm-hmm.

APPRAISER: Um, the period you just mentioned is too early for the style.

At that period, you would have a cylindrical castor.

This vase-shaped castor is more typical of the 18th century.

So, um, I'd like to take a look at the marks to see whether that confirms my opinion or yours.

(clears throat) They get somewhat s... uh, scrunched up in the bottom here, but you have four London hallmarks.

Um, the maker's mark is C.A.

for Charles Alchorne, who was a specialist castor maker.

Uh, he was actually an apprentice to a man called Samuel Welder, who was also a castor maker.

Um, he worked in the 1730 period.

There is a little problem with these marks.

London marks should have a set of four, uh, including a date letter.

Instead of a date letter, here you have his mark struck twice.

Now, the reason for that is Charles Alchorne decided he was not going to pay the sixpence duty on the silver when he made these castors.

So, he's used marks which you got right, in a sense, from the late 17th century and put them in the bottom here.

Even though the actual castors belong in the 1730 period.

And he had to cover the original date letter from the 17th century with his maker's mark.

He's even put his maker's mark quite correctly on the sleeve of the covers of this cover.

And just see if the same thing has happened here... Yeah, there he is, marked there as well.

A lot of makers did this kind of evasion.

Uh, technically speaking, these could not be sold at auction, uh, in England, but in this country we're free to sell them.

There's no doubt about their age, their quality, or who made them.

But that tiny infringement of the British, uh, hallmarking laws means that they should not technically be sold without the marks being cancelled.

What do you think they're worth, Victor?

GUEST: I really do not have an idea.

APPRAISER: Well, the problem is partly the marks.

And also they're not tremendously expensive pieces.

Even if fully marked, uh, they're probably worth in the order of $800 to $1,200 for the pair.

GUEST: Mm.

APPRAISER: Uh, is that a disappointment to you?

GUEST: No, actually, I think it's about a good price range.

I would pay that for 'em.

APPRAISER: Great.

Well worth it.