Posted on 03/20/2014 8:01:34 AM PDT by JoeProBono
LONDON, A U.S. scrap metal dealer intending to melt down an ornament for its gold was shocked to discover it was a $33 million Faberge egg, a British expert said.
Kieran McCarthy of London jeweler Wartski said the scrap metal dealer, who wished to remain anonymous, bought the gold egg for $13,302 from an antiques dealer about a decade ago and had planned to melt it down and sell the metal, but the project was put on hold when he was unable to find a buyer, the Telegraph reported Wednesday.
McCarthy said the egg stayed in the man's home until a night in 2012 when he decided to Google "egg" and "Vacheron Constantin," the name etched on the timepiece inside the egg.
The man discovered a Telegraph article from earlier that year that included an interview with McCarthy and a picture of the egg in his possession.
"He saw the article and recognized his egg in the picture. He flew straight over to London -- the first time he had ever been to Europe -- and came to see us. He hadn't slept for days," McCarthy said. "He brought pictures of the egg and I knew instantaneously that was it. I was flabbergasted -- it was like being Indiana Jones and finding the Lost Ark."
McCarthy said he flew to the United States and verified the egg.
"I examined it and said, 'You have an Imperial Faberge Easter Egg.' And he practically fainted. He literally fell to the floor in astonishment," he said.
The egg, created by Carl Faberge for Tsar Alexander III in 1887, was purchased by Wartski on behalf of a Faberge collector.
McCarthy said the scrap dealer is "petrified" of his newfound wealth becoming public knowledge.
"He's from another world entirely. It's a world of diners and pick-up trucks, real blue-collar America, and he and his partner are still stunned by all this," he said. "When I saw them in January, they hadn't moved out but they were going to, although I think it was just to a bigger house around the corner. They've also bought a new car."
I never have that kind of luck!
Uh, shut up! Geez, it’s almost like lettin’ it out that you tripped over some cans full of gold coins or somethin’. SHHHHHHH!
I don’t believe this story in the way it was told. Why would ANYONE want to melt down that (obviously) high end clock? It says that the owner is a ‘scrap metal dealer’. Surely he knows better than that.
He's right to be. IRS agents are probably repelling down onto his roof from black helicopters as we speak.
Tacky thing, ain’t it?
No kidding. Nobody with a brain pays 13K for an old egg clock with lots of gold and melts it down without at least checking for antique value.
A very white porcelain Buddha-Jesus sitting in a lotus position, but it’s also a lamp and a clock with Roman numerals? What a find. It’s like some sort of weird Unitarian lamp, but Jesus wouldn’t be white and it would be less touristy-kitkat, lol. They may not believe specifically in much, but Unitarians do concern themselves greatly with the aesthetics of it all. He is wearing a clerical robe, so maybe Episcopalian? Naaah, they’d run screaming away from anything remotely so tacky. Who else could it be, then? They’d have to revel in golden doo-dads of questionable origin and all the mixed messages would have to go completely over their heads.
Melt that down?
There are times when I have to remind myself what lurks on the other end of the IQ Bell curve...
Just DAMN.....
Do these people not know how to keep their dammed mouths SHUT when they find something valuable?!?! Is it THAT HARD to just not say anything?
Now, he’ll be LUCKY if it stops at the government only wanting THEIR piece of the action. I’m SURE there will be a few other associated taxes and fees that go along with such a find, and this isn’t considering all of the people coming out of the woodwork claiming ownership of it, whether right or not, it could get tied up in court for God knows how long, with the legal expenses that go along with it.
If it totally works out the wrong way, rather than being wealthier, he’ll end up with no money in his pocket and a headache.
I know someone who has a lamp like that. But it’s Elvis and not Jesus.
Maybe Vlad will demand it be repatriated to Russia and everybody except Vlad ends up empty handed. ;>} Russian historical artifact don’t cha know.
The United States Government will seize this, and return it to the ‘rightful owners’.... them.
I figure my time will come, about five minutes after I give my last breath.
Expect Putin’s goons to show up soon demanding it back.
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