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GUEST: I brought a Royal 
typewriter that was presented to 
my grandfather, and he worked

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at Royal for many years. For 
his ten-year anniversary as 
vice president of sales, he

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was presented this typewriter 
by his staff, and all the top 
salespeople were able to sign

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it, and then get it-- and so 
it was engraved at Cartier. 
And it's gold. (chuckles) And

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my dad also worked at Royal, 
and so it went from my 
grandfather to my father to me.

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APPRAISER: And they do refer 
to this as the Gold Royal.

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GUEST: Right.

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APPRAISER: So Royal Typewriter 
Company was founded in 1904, 
but it wasn't until the 1930s,

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when your grandfather was in 
charge of national sales, that 
they really started to take off.

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GUEST: Right, right.

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APPRAISER: Which, as a result, 
led him to be the top salesman, 
and then eventually the

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president of the company.

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GUEST: Right, and he actually 
only had an eighth-grade 
education and became president

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of a Fortune 500 company.

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APPRAISER: Right. There's 
1,064 names inscribed in this.

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GUEST: Oh, wow.

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APPRAISER: And they're inscribed 
by a fellow named Warner 
MacDonald by hand, individually.

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The typewriter itself has 
2,257 different parts. What 
Royal did is, they then took a

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completed typewriter, 
took it to Cartier...

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GUEST: Yes, okay.

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APPRAISER: And every exposed 
piece, large and small, was 
plated in 24-karat gold. That

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was in 1939 at a cost 
of $5,000. When I asked 
some of the appraisers 
at the jewelry table...

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GUEST: Uh-huh.

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APPRAISER: "What would you 
think it would cost to have 
something like this commissioned

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today?", they couldn't even 
put a number on it, barely. 
Because of, the cost of labor

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was less back then.

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GUEST: Right.

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APPRAISER: And the cost 
of gold was less back 
then. $150,000, $200,000, 
perhaps, they speculated.

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It was exhibited in the 
1939 New York World's Fair.

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GUEST: Okay.

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APPRAISER: Then it went on 
tour all around the U.S. at the 
offices of Royal sales agents.

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And it was presented in 1940 to 
your grandfather. Half a dozen 
appraisers were all involved

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in this with me...

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GUEST: Uh-huh.

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APPRAISER: As we tried to talk 
about the different components 
to it. We would put a value, at

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auction, of $30,000 to $40,000.

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GUEST: Oh, my God. (laughs) 
Awesome! That's amazing, wow-- 
I had no idea. It's been in

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my closet. (chuckles)