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

By Andrea Vacchiano FOXBusiness

Published February 6, 2024 9:26pm EST

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.

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

The 285-year-old lemon (not pictured) miraculously survived after being tucked away in a cabinet.

"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.

Brettells Auctioneers & Valuers in Newport, England, sold the fruit at auction last month.

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 final price of the ancient fruit was £1,400, which is just shy of $1,800.

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."

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

来自1739年距今285年的柠檬在拍卖会上以近1800美元的价格售出

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

当你在生活中得到柠檬时，把它们藏起来几个世纪，这样可能会给你带来一笔小财富。

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

英国Newport的Brettells Auctioners&Valuers拍卖行在1月16日拍卖了一个285年前的柠檬，拍卖出了近1800美元。

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.

该拍卖行最初在一个19世纪的橱柜里发现了这颗1739年的18世纪的水果。这个柜子也被拍卖了，但只卖到了40美元左右。

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

读者可以在Brettells Auctioners&Valuers拍卖行的Instagram页面上看到这只古老柠檬的照片。

"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.

据《Sun》报道，拍卖师David Brettell表示：“我们就想玩一下，把（柠檬）进行拍卖，估价为40-60英镑”，60英镑大约相当于76美元。

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."

该水果呈深棕色，但非常完整。上面刻着：“P Lu Franchini先生于1739年11月4日送给E Baxter小姐。”

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

据《Sun》报道，这个柠檬可能是从印度作为爱情礼物带到英国的。

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.

英国媒体称，是一场“竞标战”将这个古老水果的最终价格推至1400英镑，将近1800美元。

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

这个柠檬比1743年出生的Thomas Jefferson还大四岁。

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.

据《Sun》报道，这个柠檬的出售价为1100英镑，但额外的一些成本使总售价达到1400英镑。

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."

食物能保存三个世纪是非常罕见的。报道引用Brettell的话说：“你再也不会在拍卖会上看到这样的东西了”。