A person appointed by competent authority to make an appraisement, to ascertain and state the true value of goods or real estate. General appraisers. Appraisers appointed under an act of congress to afford aid and assistance to the collectors of customs in the appraisement of imported merchandise. Gibb v. Washington, 10 Fed. Cas. 288.Merchant appraisers. Where the appraisement of an invoice of imported goods made by the revenue officers at the custom house is not satisfactory to the importer, persons may be selected (under this name) to make a definitive valuation; they must be merchants engaged in trade. Auffmordt v. Hedden (C. C.) 30 Fed. 360; Oelberman v. Merritt (C. C.) 19 Fed. 408.