An expert on Antiques Roadshow declined to appraise a particular item, citing its disturbing history and horrific past.
In a viral episode, expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan declined to assign a monetary value to an item after discovering its dark history—something the owner was completely unaware of.
After the episode, viewers flooded social media with praise for the expert. One fan commented, “Every word out of his mouth was a history lesson for me. Thank you.”
Another viewer added, “Wow, this was amazing, and what an eloquent description of the hideous yet important provenance of this item.”
In the episode, a woman presented Archer-Morgan with a ring-shaped object that she had unknowingly held onto for years.
The owner admitted to the antiques expert that she had “no idea” what the item was but was intrigued by its “interesting” appearance.
The bangle featured calligraphy engraved with the words “Prince Jemmy of Grandy” and the phrase “honest fellow.”
Although Archer-Morgan described the object as “amazing,” he admitted it was one of the “most difficult things I’ve ever had to talk about.”
He went on to say, “I just don’t want to value it. I do not want to put a price on something that signifies such an awful business.”
“But the true value lies in the lessons this can teach people,” he explained. “The value is in researching this and uncovering its history. I’m so grateful to you for bringing it in, even though it’s heartbreaking.”
Archer-Morgan then revealed that the ivory bangle was linked to the transatlantic slave trade of the 17th and 18th centuries, one of the darkest chapters in human history.
According to the BBC, the transatlantic slave trade took place between 1500 and 1870 and involved the forced enslavement and transport of people from Africa to the Americas, spanning both North and South America.
In the Americas, enslaved people were forced to produce goods such as tobacco, cotton, sugar, and indigo dye.
In a voiceover, Antiques Roadshow host Fiona Bruce explained, “The item was a disc that acted as an endorsement of the professional reputation of an African slave trader in the West African port of Bonny in the 18th century.”
Archer-Morgan noted that he believed the name inscribed on the bangle—Prince Jemmy of Grandy—was that of an African man who was “a despicable human being” involved in the trading of people.
Referencing the words “honest fellow” on the bangle, the expert remarked, “I’d like to meet him and tell him how honest I think he is.”
Archer-Morgan also candidly shared, “My great-grandmother was a returned slave from Nova Scotia in Canada and came back to Sierra Leone and Freetown.”
He added, “And I actually think it’s my cultural duty, our cultural duty, to talk about things like this.”
