Antiques Roadshow guest speechless at real value of 'love token' he was 'clueless about'

Antiques Roadshow stars laughed as they talked about the use of a mysterious wooden stick its owner thought was worth just £10.

The favourite set up shop at RAF Coningsby, where expert Jon Baddeley closely examined what appeared as an unremarkable "carved piece of wood [with] nothing very special about it."

He inquired: "It's got a date on the back so we know when it was made but what was it made for?" to which the puzzled owner admitted: "That's what I've brought it for actually, I haven't got a clue."

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Baddeley canvassed the crowd for theories, eliciting responses like a speaking stick, a ceremonial item, a ruler, even a shoe horn.

With keen observation, he noted: "It's chip carved, you can see how it's carved like this, so the quality isn't of huge merit, I have to say."

"It seems like something knocked up in leisure time, wouldn't you say?", the owner concurred, as Baddeley nodded to "folk art".

Not one to keep the audience in suspense, Baddeley teased out the answer, asking: "So a bit of folk art and what's the thing that's closest to a woman's heart?"

A cheeky guess from the guest, "Money usually" roused laughter, before Baddeley hinted at a more intimate answer: "Money is the closest thing! Well maybe just think of something that's physically closer, her underwear.

"So this is what is called a stay busk. In the 18th Century, your stay was your corset, so this would have fitted down - I'm not wearing a corset today - it would have fitted down in a pocket at the front of your corset [and] went down like that.

"It meant you had to stand up very straight, it meant you had to keep your stomach in and it meant it lifted your breasts which was very important.

"So it was given to you by your lover."

The guest chuckled at the notion, with the expert himself grinning as he discussed the topic.

He continued: "So if you wanted to give your lover something closest to our heart, you would have carved this piece of wood in 1775 and 'AS' was probably the initials of his wife or his girlfriend.

"She would have worn it and every time she put it in, she'd remember her husband or lover. It's a love token."

When asked if he liked it more now, the owner responded with a grin: "I mean, I've heard many things on what it's been but that's the best one yet I think and obviously you're right."

Baddeley stated: "And what I personally like about it is it's been used, because obviously it's been touched a lot", before proceeding to discuss its value.

"I love it, I think it's a great piece. Value, dated 1775, English, chip-carved, a love token, lots of story behind it, at auction, £800 to £1,200."

The guest's mouth instantly fell open, before he covered his face with his hands and shook his head.

The owner was left stunned, saying: "I thought £10 [at] the most. I don't believe it!".

Baddeley joked: "I think it's something to give to your wife", as he handed over the stay busk, prompting the guest to present the item to his wife.

As he departed, the owner returned to the circle, shook Baddeley's hand, and expressed his gratitude for the appraisal.

Antiques Roadshow is available to watch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.