On "Antiques Roadshow," a woman in San Diego brought in a satchel her great-grandfather had received from the Cherokee in 1846. He was a lieutenant in the Army and the bag was a gift from a Cherokee warrior who wanted to thank him for being kind to his people. She had a letter from her great-grandfather to back up the story, and the bag was authenticated by an expert in tribal arts.
“It’s just a remarkable document that ties everything together," said appraiser Ted Trotta. "The bag itself probably dates to the 1820s. I think this bag, in its present condition, if it did not have this very important document that tracks its history across the country, would be about $25,000.” But that was without the document. With it -- and a restoration that would cost about $7,500 -- the piece would be worth closer to $100,000.
The original appraisal on the show was from 2010, and an update says that in three short years, the restored value of the bag shot up to $145,000!
"Antiques Roadshow" airs every Monday at 8 p.m. EST on PBS.
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