Centuries-old musical penknife valued at £80,000

The musical penknife dates to between 1810 and 1820

A 200-year-old musical penknife valued at £80,000 which appeared on BBC One's Antiques Roadshow had "never been seen before" by experts.

Clive Hopkins, from Berkshire, took the piece, belonging to his daughter-in-law, to be examined at Broughton Castle, near Banbury.

Antiques expert Jon Baddeley described it as "fantastic quality, extremely rare and currently very popular".

He valued the piece at between £60,000 and £80,000.

'Sublimely beautiful'

Mr Baddeley said: "I have never seen one, my colleagues have never seen one and if no one has ever seen one you know it is something that is truly desirable."

Experts examined the penknife while the BBC Antiques Roadshow was being filmed at Broughton Castle

It was made in Switzerland between 1810 and 1820.

The item has two blades, one silver gilt, and it is decorated in enamel with sea pearls inlaid.

There is also a key arm which winds it up to play a tune.

Mr Hopkins said he would get the key fixed and bring the item back to Antiques Roadshow.

"The family will have to decide what to do and they may put it on display in a museum," he said.

Clive Hopkins said his daughter-in-law's family collected memorabilia and had only recently rediscovered the item

"It was collected, as I gather, hundreds of years ago."

Mr Baddeley told Mr Hopkins: "You've brought in one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen on the Roadshow."

He said he believed, if wound up, the tiny mechanism would play two musical airs.

Simon Shaw, executive editor of the programme, said: "What was unusual about this sublimely beautiful musical penknife was that none of our experts had ever seen anything like it before.

"Its rarity combined with its beauty and quality is what struck a chord with expert Jon Baddeley and so it seems, everyone else who has watched it."