MOON ROCK IN RIJKSMUSEUMN IS PETRIFIED WOOD

Watch out for fakes. Even museums are fooled. The famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has a "moon rock" that isn't from the moon. The U.S. ambassador had given the rock to the Dutch prime minister when the Apollo 11 astronauts visited the Netherlands in 1969. The former ambassador says he got it from the U.S. State Department and thought it was authentic. When the museum was given the rock in 1988, officials there called NASA and were told that the rock could be real. Now we know it's just a piece of petrified wood. It will stay on display as a "curiosity."

ROOKWOOD POTTERY FACTORY

The Rookwood Pottery factory in Cincinnati, fully restored, will host the art pottery auctions that have previously been held at Cincinnati Art Galleries. The art gallery will focus on paintings from now on, so the pottery offered to run the twice-yearly art pottery auctions.

GOT AN OLD WASHING MACHINE?

Maytag just traded a brand new washer and dryer for a 52-year-old pink washer and dryer owned by Jane Thompson of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. The latch broke on Jane's dryer, so it needed its first repair. The old machines will go in the Maytag museum. Jane says she wants her pink machines back if the new ones don't work as well as the old ones.

STAFFORDSHIRE WESLEY FIGURE

Q: I have a Staffordshire statue of Charles Wesley standing in a pulpit. It belonged to my grandmother. Is it valuable?

A: The figure in your Staffordshire piece is probably John Wesley (1703-1791), not his brother, Charles (1707-1788). Both men were ordained in the Church of England. John is considered by many to be the founder of the Methodist church, although the church was not actually formed until after his death. Charles is best-known for the thousands of hymns he wrote. Several potters made different figurines of John Wesley in the late 1800s. There are even different versions of your figurine. The pulpit may be a different shape, the cherubim in a different place, and the hands on the clock in a different position. Value of your figurine: $300-$400.

LISBON SILVER MARK

Q: I bought a silver tray at a house. This is one of the marks on it. Can you tell me anything about it?

A: This eagle mark is a standard mark used by the city of Lisbon, Portugal, from 1938 until 1985. The number "916" indicates the fineness of the silver, the standard for sterling silver in Portugal at that time. Silver is alloyed with another metal, usually copper, to give it strength; the number indicates the percentage of silver (916 parts per 1,000). The standard is different in different countries. This mark was used on large pieces of silver. Smaller pieces were marked with the head of a rooster and the fineness number.

GLASS CARE TIPS

Never put hot glass in cold water or cold glass in hot water. The temperature change can crack the glass. A friend once molded Jell-O in a cut glass bowl, kept in the refrigerator, served it, then put the bowl into hot water in the sink. Her stomach sunk when she heard the bowl crack.

HAUNTED FURNITURE STORIES NEEDED

A national magazine has asked us to find some examples of haunted furniture--perhaps a clock that chimes at unexpected times or a sofa that creaks? Tell us your story, what's happening, and why you think your piece of furniture is haunted. Also include a description and history of the piece. Send all the information, along with your name, state, email address and phone number to Terry at feedback@kovels.com. We will send everything on to the national women's lifestyle magazine. Your story may be included in an article.

BRINGING BACK BROOCHES

Brooches (pins) are back in style. Madeleine Albright may have started it when she became U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and became known for wearing large brooches. Some of her pins are patriotic (like her c.1940 Trifari American eagle and Uncle Sam top hat shown here) and others had special significance related to her diplomatic missions. Secretary Albright's brooches are so well-known that the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City has mounted an exhibit of 200 of her pins. The exhibit runs until January 31, 2010.

The oversized "boyfriend" jacket with classic tailoring and wide shoulders is perfect for a large, showy brooch. Antique brooches are being copied today.

LOOK CAREFULLY AT ANTIQUES YOU BOUGHT LONG AGO

An Arizona family owned a half-inch jeweled miniature portrait one member of the family purchased in 1951. It appeared valuable because of its jewels and the quality of the painting, so last summer the family had it appraised. It turned out to be an 18th-century portrait of Russian Czar Peter the Great. It sold at Sotheby's for $1.3 million.

BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM FOLLOWUP

Brandeis University will not sell the artwork given by three donors who sued to prevent the sale. What will happen next to the Rose Art Museum that Brandeis wants to close?

PATRIOTIC COVERLET

Q: I have a coverlet that has been in the family since the early 1900s. It was given to my grandparents by an English woman in India as "something of great value" that had been around the world seven times. Supposedly it had come from an estate auction in Europe. What can you tell me about this coverlet? Is it very valuable?

A: There are 125 known examples of coverlets with this "Agriculture & Manufactures" design, according to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Many were made between 1824 and 1827 to commemorate General Lafayette's visit to the United States in 1824-25. Several variations have been found. Most have borders on the sides and bottom and two corner blocks on the bottom. Symbols woven into the coverlet include Independence Hall, soldiers, eagles, laurel leaves, deer, monkeys, and Masonic columns, squares and compasses. Lafayette, who was a Mason, received several degrees in the Scottish Rite during his visit. The design was used on single-width, double-panel, and tied Beiderwand coverlets. The most common colors are blue and natural. The name of the weaver is not known, but it is thought that at least two weavers in New York State made coverlets with this design. The name "Phebe Leach" woven into your coverlet is probably the name of the original owner. Expensive coverlets usually sell for about $500, but yours is so rare it might go for more.

OLD HALL EXCELSIOR PLATE

Q: Can you tell from the marks on my plate who made it and how old it is?
A: Your plate was made by Old Hall Earthenware Co. of Hanley, Staffordshire, England. The company was in business under that name from 1861 to 1886. The marks on the bottom of your plate include the pattern name, Excelsior, and an English registry mark, which indicates the design of your dish was registered on January 8, 1880. The asymmetrical Japanese-inspired design would have been popular in the 1880s. A plate in this pattern is valued at $15 to $20.

PAINTINGS UNDER A BED

If you need to store a painting, push it under a bed. The location is dark and provides good air circulation. And it's best to store paintings horizontally, not vertically.

GARDEN STATUE SELLS FOR RECORD PRICE

A 1931 garden statue estimated at $12,000 to $18,000 auctioned for an unexpected $118,000 this week. The 4-foot-tall bronze statue with a green patina was in the garden when a lucky man bought a home and its contents about 40 years ago. The owner was offered $3,000 for the statue a few years ago but kept it until last week's auction. The statue was made in Paris by Egyptian sculptor Mahmoud Mokhtar (1891-1934). Cleveland Auction Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, sold the piece, which set an auction record for the artist's bronzes.

ROADSHOW APPRAISER SENTENCED AGAIN

Russell Pritchard III, who gained TV fame on the Antiques Roadshow with the appraisal of a valuable sword that the "owner" claimed to use to cut watermelons, is in the news again. He used the TV publicity to enhance his reputation, then cheated his clients while appraising or selling their antiques. He was serving a 4-to-8-year sentence in prison when he had to appear in court in October in a new case. Following a plea bargain, he was sentenced to 4 to 8 more years for yet more crimes, the extra years to be served concurrently with his earlier sentence. But the plea bargain means he also has to repay over $65,000 to his latest victims.