Who Doesn't Love a Great Find?

Aficionados of Antiques Roadshow know that treasure sometimes hides in plain sight. Masterpieces can surface in domestic settings such as attics, cellars, and garages. It is very much as unlikely as winning the lottery. But lottery winners exist, however few and far between, and so do finders of lost or forgotten artistic treasures.

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So without further ado, here is a fabulous Faberge find depicting Empress Alexandra’s personal Cossack bodyguard, c. 1921, to inspire your search.

Time lost: 1934–2013 (79 years)

Found: In an Upstate New York attic

Sold For: $5.2 million

That a royal bodyguard was able to keep himself safe in a Rhinebeck, New York, attic for nearly 80 years isn’t entirely unexpected, but his discovery in his original box is rare indeed.