This story feels like it belongs on something like Antiques Roadshow Extreme Edition. John Webber recently learned that a mug he used to play with as a child decades ago is actually an ancient Persian relic estimated to be worth about $1 million. The ancient gold cup was mysteriously acquired by his scrap metal dealing grandfather, who gave the younger Webber the cup to play with as a toy. Little did little John know that he was shooting at an ancient relic with his air gun!

John Webber assumed for most of his life that the golden cup was just a brass mass-produced trinket. Fortunately however, he decided to get it valued as he was moving last year and learned that it was rare, ancient, and very valuable. It dates back centuries, produced by the Persian empires that existed hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus Christ.

The cup is believed to be from the third or fourth century B.C., as it is consistent with Achaemenid metallurgy. That empire was wiped out by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The cup is currently up for auction in Dorchester through Duke’s, and on June 5th it is expected to fetch about 500,000 pounds (or $1 million approximately).

[Yahoo!]

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