Antiques Roadshow expert lost for words as guest presents 'iconic' item found in attic

On Antiques Roadshow, a guest left expert Mark Smith astounded with an "iconic" discovery made by her grandchildren in the attic. Fiona Bruce presented another captivating episode of the beloved BBC show on Sunday evening. Set against the backdrop of Crystal Palace park, a fresh group of visitors arrived, eager to learn the value of their cherished possessions.

Expert Mark Smith couldn't hide his excitement when a guest brought forward a box she had unearthed in her loft. She recounted how the box contained medals from her late father-in-law, who had served in World War Two, including an impressive array of French decorations. In addition to the medals, the guest revealed a small tube found by her grandsons.



She said: "My two grandsons were up in my loft and they found a small old box. "They came down very excited to say, not only had they found three medals in the box but they'd found this tube, which as you can see is addressed to Monsieur Poulet, and it says to Maurice from Mr Churchill." The guest explained: "We slid the contents out carefully, and there inside, we found this cigar.

Then another of my grandsons ran down to say he had found a newspaper article in the same box." Mark was overjoyed to confirm that the cigar had once belonged to former Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, who led the UK through pivotal years from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. The expert exclaimed: "So you actually have one of Mr Churchill's cigars, isn't it fantastic.

" He then added some even better news: "Well, the cigar is worth £2,000." The owner of the item was taken aback by its valuation and responded: "No, oh my goodness, really?" Mark elaborated on the value, saying: "His cigars are so iconic and people just want to own one of them." Winston Churchill's affinity for cigars played a significant role in crafting his public persona, with the prominent "Churchill" cigar size named in his honour.

During pivotal moments throughout history, Churchill's image was often completed with a smouldering cigar, contributing to the high demand for his personal cigars at auctions today..