APPRAISER: You've brought two instruments, I see.

Um... GUEST 1: Right.

APPRAISER: But you both play these, is it?

GUEST 2: No, no.

APPRAISER: No?

And whose instruments are these?

GUEST 1: They were my, my adopted father's.

APPRAISER: On down.

GUEST 1: And I think this was passed down from my to my father, from my grandfather.

APPRAISER: From your grandfather, so a representation here of four generations, amazing.

GUEST 1: Or more.

APPRAISER: Or more.

Can you tell me anything about this instrument that, that you know about?

The history of it?

GUEST 1: The only thing that I know is that my grandfather and my father both played it.

APPRAISER: And what did he ever tell you about this instrument and where it was from and who made it?

GUEST 1: Well, he told me that it was a Stradivarius.

APPRAISER: That it was a Stradivarius.

GUEST 1: Right.

And that, um, it was named after his second wife.

APPRAISER: Your husband's sec no.

GUEST 1: No, no.

An-Antonio Stradivarius.

APPRAISER: Antonio Stradivarius's second wife.

GUEST 1: Right, and her name was Faciebat Anna.

APPRAISER: Her name was?

GUEST 1: Faciebat.

APPRAISER: Faciebat Anna.. GUEST 1: Uh huh APPRAISER: £and her name, Faciebat Anna, would be in here.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: Okay.

Um, that's... ...actually, I wasn't aware of Stradivarius's second wife, um, but uh it-- this is amazing.

Amazing story connected to it.

Any history here on this one?

GUEST: This one, I just, I don't really know... APPRAISER: Mm-hmm.

GUEST: ...that much about this one, I do know this one, but not, not so much this one.

APPRAISER: Not so much on this one.

GUEST: Right.

APPRAISER: Well, this instrument, I, I hear that word "faciebat anno," and though I, I failed Latin, I think, uh, I think it's going to tell us something in here once we look and we light it up.

Um, and in fact, yes, it says in there, "Antonius "Stradivarius, Cremonensis, Faciebat Anno 17."

And then there's a blank.

"Faciebat Anno" actually means "made in."

"Facie," made to construct, made in the year.

"Anno," "anno 17," and then a blank.

There-there's a date on that.

GUEST 1: Mhmm.

APPRAISER: Um, but looking at the instrument, I'd have to say that it is not Italian work, not the work of Stradivarius, but in fact, trade work, German mass-produced early 20th century.

And we can identify that by the quality of the varnish, the quality of the work, not the workmanship that we want to see in Stradivarius.

So not quite as exciting as maybe the, the family history goes along with.

But what's interesting is I'm looking at this violin and I find it a little more exciting.

And this is the instrument that you don't know much about.

This violin, on the other hand, uh, is German work again but much earlier and of a very high quality.

Um, made in probably Saxony, that eastern region of Germany, and made by one of the makers.

I would probably guess Hammig was a very prolific maker at that time, about 1850, 1860s, thereabouts and a very nice fiddle.

This violin, though purported to be a Stradivarius, has a value of maybe only $200.

While this instrument quite easily would be worth about $4,000.

Or better it's very excellent quality work.

And it's, it's a, it's a good example where a false label placed in an instrument... ...masquerades for quite a long time as being wonderful work.

While this instrument, unlabeled, is really the finer piece.