An Antiques Roadshow expert delivered crushing news to a guest after discovering his prized item was a fake. The man had paid £480 for what he thought was a rare Leica camera, hoping it might be worth thousands. However, during valuation on the BBC programme, expert Marc Allum revealed the gold camera was not authentic.
The Moment of Truth
Marc Allum, clearly reluctant to disappoint, told the crestfallen owner: "What I obviously really don't want to do is disappoint you about this camera, which is inevitably what I have done. Don't feel bad about it."
The episode, originally aired in 2011, took place at Lincoln Cathedral where members of the public brought items for appraisal. The guest explained he had spotted the camera at an antiques centre and believed its date and Olympic logo linked it to the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Expert Analysis
Marc admitted that upon first sight, the camera made his heart "flutter," reminding him of a rare Leica Luxus he had encountered years earlier. "It glimmered or gleams, just like that Luxus," he said. However, closer inspection revealed telltale signs of forgery.
He noted that while the camera bore an Olympic logo, eagle, and swastika with the inscription "Olympiade, Berlin, 1936," the serial number was a red flag. "We have to look deeper because, quite often, things that look really good sometimes turn out to be a bit too good to be true," Marc explained.
He continued: "I've always had a strong interest in cameras, and I was surprised to find in places like the Czech Republic that there were some very rare Leicas around, particularly Luftwaffe Leicas and Luxus Leicas. And what I discovered was these were being faked. Now, what we have here is, I feel, a fake."
A Salutary Lesson
The expert pointed out that genuine Leica cameras typically have six-digit serial numbers, whereas this one had only five digits. Despite the disappointing revelation, Marc urged the guest to view the item differently: "I think it's a kind of salutary lesson, really, to just point out to people that this is the kind of thing that goes on. Just take it for what it is. Put it on the shelf and enjoy it but don't feel bad about it."
Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One on Sundays at 8.15pm.
