IT'S no wonder Willie Docherty was all smiles.

The charity boss had just learned at the BBC's Antiques Roadshow valuation day in Glasgow that a silver cup presented to his group in 1683 was worth a whopping £100,000.

Willie, chief executive officer at ScotsCare, which works with Scots in London, had brought the cup up from the capital to have the BC show's antiques expert cast an eye over it at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

"The cup was given to the charity by its first Master, James Kynneir," he said.

"He was a Glasgow weaver and merchant who went to London and made his fortune there .

"He had a severe illness but recovered from it, and he dedicated his fortune to the charity.

"The cup was made in 1654 and he gave it to the charity in 1683, to mark his year as Master.

"It's amazing to think that the cup dates from the time of the Black Death in 1665and the Great Fire of London a year later.

"It's the only surviving relic from that time in the charity's history."

ScotsCare was formally established as the 'Scottish Hospital of the Foundation of Charles II' in 1665, and later became known as the Royal Scottish Corporation, before finally switching its current name in 2003.

Willie said: "We can trace our history back to 1611. A blaze destroyed our London offices in 1877, but we reckon the cup must have been off-site at the time."

He revealed that the antiques expert had only ever seen one cup like it before.

"He was amazed," said Willie.

"He said he'd heard of our cup before but had never actually seen it.

"We knew it was valuable, but had guessed it might be worth £20,000 to £30,000.

"As it turned out, it was valued at £100,000 and we will need to get it insured now for £150,000."

All that is known about the cup's maker are his initials, H.W. - and that he was a high-quality silversmith.

The Antiques Roadshow's silver expert, Alastair Dickenson, described the giant silver cup as "the find of the year".

He said: "I've been in the business 43 years and I don't recall a cup like that ever coming up for sale anywhere in all that time."

The Roadshow, presented by Fiona Bruce, attracted thousands of people to Glasgow - including one woman from Texas, who combined her visit to the show with a holiday.

People arrived with heirlooms in bags of every description, including a sizeable number of distinctive blue IKEA bags.

Inside, the main hall was an endlessly bustling scene of activity.

People queued up to have their items appraised by the relevant expert, whether it was in paintings, or ceramics, or books.

Miss Ann McGoff of Craigend, Glasgow, was interviewed on camera by Lee Young, a specialist in 'miscellaneous' antiques.

She said later: "I came here today to try to find out more about this little fellow."

She was holding a little Japanese tobacco-pouch, hand-carved from wood.

"It's dated from about 1868 to 1912. My father used to keep his collar-studs and cufflinks in it."

Lee gave Miss Goff a valuation of between £400 to £600, "though it could be more," she added. She has no plans to sell it.

Claudette and Jimmy Harvey, from Castlemilk, had brought in a variety of items, including an old silver buckle.

"I got information that it had possibly been a nurse's buckle," said Claudette.

"It has red enamel, and it was made in Birmingham in 1910. A value of up to £150 was put on it.

"We were clearing my mother's house," she added.

"I had a great-aunt who was in the nursing profession, so it could have been hers."

The Kelvingrove programme is planned to be aired in spring next year.

russell.leadbetter@ eveningtimes.co.uk