Is it more fun if the PCs know what they have right off the bat, or not? In your typical inept caper film, the crew realizes they have a duffle bag full of cocaine worth millions and the fun is them trying to dodge mobsters, feds, bounty hunters and each others' ambitions while trying to figure out how to sell it. In this D&D scenario, if they find the Orb of Dragonkind, they should know what they have and know that wizards, dragons, dragon cults and paladins will be trying to get it from them. it isn't really worth anything on its own to the 1st level party, but they could possibly sell it...
Or, it is more fun if they don't know what they have? Say they find an ornate box with a dragon motif, but can't open it or divine what is inside. Yet, wizards, dragons, dragon cultists and paladins keep showing up trying to get box.