An old and dried lemon was sold for a tidy sum (4 photos)
In the UK, a 285-year-old lemon found in an old chest was sold at auction. The buyer paid 1.4 thousand pounds sterling for it. 
The brown, shriveled lemon was found after locals sorting through their uncle's belongings stumbled upon a 19th-century chest. Thinking that the antique piece of furniture might be valuable, they decided to show it to auctioneer David Brettell. 
The specialist discovered the lemon while photographing the chest for its subsequent sale. The citrus peel was carved with the inscription: "Presented by Mr. P. Lou Francini, November 4, 1739, to Miss E. Baxter." It is believed that lemon was brought to England from British India as a romantic gift. 
According to Brettell, he and his colleagues decided to have “a little fun” and put the 285-year-old citrus up for auction with a starting price of £40-60. However, the citrus went under the hammer for a record 1.4 thousand pounds. Brettell attributed the high price to the rarity of the lot. He claims that such an item will never appear at auction again. It is noted that the chest itself was sold for only 32 pounds sterling. 
