There is an old saying that goes, "You can't run away, and you can't keep it if you're not." In the 1970s, an old farmer inadvertently obtained a treasure from the Warring States, but he found someone to identify it three times and was identified as a fake. Because the family was in urgent need of money, the old farmer sold it to an expert in desperation. But who could have imagined that this treasure was not only not a fake, but was worth more than 100 million.
What are the twists and turns in this matter? Was the acquisition expert deliberate, or inadvertent? What happened after that?
Old farmer in Shaanxi
As we all know, many stories about the discovery of treasures take place in Shaanxi. Indeed, Shaanxi, as a major province of cultural relics, may kick a random kick in the field, and may kick a treasure of the national treasure level. For example, the only empress in history, Yuxi, was not kicked out by a student in Shaanxi?
Coincidentally, today's story also takes place in Shaanxi.
Time back to the beginning of 1975, there was an old farmer on the outskirts of Shaanxi, although he was not rich, but he guarded a few acres of thin land, but he could also live a carefree life.
One day, the old farmer went to work in the fields as usual. Unlike in the past, this time when he was ploughing the ground, a pickaxe turned over a black object that did not slip. The old farmer picked it up and looked at it, it was a tiger-like metal product, only to see the tiger standing, its head slightly raised, as if it was howling.
The old farmer thought it was a craft, but he found that there were many strange words written on it. Thinking that Shaanxi is a major province of cultural relics, is this object an antique?
Thinking of this, he also had no energy to work, and immediately put things in his pocket and went home with a pickaxe and other tools.
The old farmer's wife died early, and his children worked in the factory in the provincial city, and only the old farmer was at home. In the face of this big event, the old farmer was uneasy in his heart, thinking that if the antiques could sell for a lot of money, but he couldn't understand it, then he could only wait for the next day to find someone to identify.
Three appraisals
The next day, the old farmer got up early in the morning. After a brief cleaning, I took my things to the glass factory in the city to find someone to identify.
The old farmer turned around and finally found a boss who looked loyal to help him see.
After a few words of greeting with the boss, the old farmer took out something and let the boss look up. According to the rules, the boss did not ask about the origin of the thing, so he took the object and took a magnifying glass to look at it.
However, after studying for a while, he told the old farmer that this was an ancient tiger rune and was used to dispatch troops. However, although this item looks very old, it looks very awkward and unnatural, and it must be a forgery forged by modern people. After saying that, the boss returned the goods to the old farmer.
When the old farmer heard that it was fake, although he was a little disappointed in his heart, he was not dead hearted. So I asked another boss to help identify. Of course, the final result, as before, is considered a fake. At this time, the old farmer was dead hearted and returned home with his things.
About half a month later, a relative came to the house and talked about the object in small talk. Relatives said that he was too stupid, the owner of the glass factory was not professional, and should go to the cultural relics department to find experts for identification.
The old farmer heard that it made sense, so he took his things to the cultural relics department in the city the next day, and he could also stop by to see his children.
However, when I arrived in the city to look for my son, I learned that my son went out to buy something after work, because the manhole cover was stolen by thieves, plus it was dark, and my son accidentally fell into it and is now lying in the hospital.
But hospitalization needs money, the old farmer is worried, suddenly thought of the purpose of his coming, so quickly with something to find an expert identification, if it is true, you can take it to sell, pay money to your son.
Unfortunately, a few months ago, Shaanxi discovered the "Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shi Huang" that shocked the world, and capable experts in the cultural relics department all went to the field to participate in conservation and research work. Therefore, the reception of the old farmer is a lowly qualified, inexperienced, and is still a master of porcelain wang surname experts.
For the bronze artifacts made of "Tiger Rune", Wang experts are not very professional. According to his understanding of the Warring States Tiger Rune, the style of the Tiger Rune should be prone or lying down, not standing, so Wang experts also felt that this thing was fake.
However, experts think that the old farmer is not easy, the son also needs money for hospitalization, anyway, this thing is not bad as a handicraft collection, so he bought this tiger charm for 50 yuan.
50 yuan is not less in the 70s, when pork was 5 cents a pound, and the annual tuition fee was 2 yuan, so 50 yuan was equivalent to about 8,000 yuan today.
The old farmer was very happy and took the money to treat his son. Expert Wang took this tiger charm home and put it in the drawer, but did not take it seriously.
3 years later
Time passed 3 years later, once several colleagues of the unit visited the home of Expert Wang, including many experts in bronze. So when talking about bronzes, Expert Wang took out the tiger charm from the drawer and showed it to everyone.
One of the bronze experts was taken aback when he saw it. The text on this thing is very similar to the small seal commonly used in the Warring States period, in addition, judging from the appearance and degree of oxidation, this thing is a genuine product, not a fake.
For the sake of prudence, Wang experts then brought things to several senior experts of the unit for inspection, and finally agreed that this was indeed a tiger charm used to dispatch troops during the Warring States period, and it was the oldest tiger charm found so far.
So since it is a genuine product, why don't even many people, including Wang Expert, see it?
In fact, because this kind of thing is very rare, at that time, a total of 3 tiger symbols from the Warring States period were found throughout the country, such as the Yangling Tiger Symbol and the Dongjun Tiger Symbol. However, the above 3 types of tiger rune styles are lying or prone, and this tiger rune is standing, which subverts people's perception of the tiger rune style, so The Wang expert who is not proficient in bronze has looked away, which is why the two glass factory owners feel awkward.
Since it is a genuine product, this tiger charm should belong to the national treasure level according to its unique research and historical value, and its value is at least over 100 million. After learning this news, Expert Wang hurriedly looked for the old farmer who had come to treasure according to the registration record.
However, he did not return the tiger charm to the old farmer, because according to the state regulations, this tiger charm should be handed over. But since the old farmer was the first discoverer, he sent a pennant and a reward of 200 yuan on behalf of the cultural relics department.
Finally, this national treasure was also handed over to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum for safekeeping and collection.
To this day, if you visit the museum, you can see this national treasure in the exhibition area.
Reference: Chronicle of History