285-year-old lemon from 1739 sells at auction for nearly $1,800

When life gives you lemons, tucking them away for a few centuries may make you a small fortune.

Brettells Auctioneers & Valuers in Newport, England, put a 285-year-old lemon for auction on Jan. 16 — and earned nearly $1,800 for it.

The auction house originally found the 18th-century fruit from 1739 hidden away in a 19th-century cabinet. The cabinet went up for auction, too, but only sold for around $40.

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Readers can see pictures of the timeworn lemon on Brettells Auctioneers & Valuers’ Instagram page.

“We thought we’d have a bit of fun and put [the lemon] in the auction with an estimate of £40-£60,” auctioneer David Brettell said, according to the Sun. Sixty British pounds sterling is equal to roughly 76 U.S. dollars.

The fruit is a deep-brown color, but remarkably intact. It was carved with the words: “Given by Mr P Lu Franchini Nov 4 1739 to Miss E Baxter.”

The lemon may have been brought to England as a romantic gift from India, the Sun reported.

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British media described that there was a “bidding war” that drove the final price of the ancient fruit to £1,400, which is just shy of $1,800.

The lemon is four years older than Thomas Jefferson, who was born in 1743.

The French and Indian War, which predated the American Revolution, did not start for another 15 years after the lemon was harvested.

The Sun reported that the fruit sold for £1,100, but the extra costs brought the total to £1,400.

It is highly unusual for food to survive three centuries. Brettell was quoted as saying, “You’ll never see an object like this at auction again.”

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