On January 16th, a 285-year-old lemon tree was auctioned off as a “bit of fun” and ultimately sold for nearly $1,800.

Brettels Auctioneers and Valuers An old lemon was put up for auction in Newport, England, and surprisingly sold for 1,416 pounds ($1,787.78). according to New York Post. The magazine noted that the 1739 fruit was discovered deep inside a 19th-century cabinet and that Bretells put it up for auction, but the sale price was only about $40.

A 285-year-old lemon tree was sold at auction in the UK.

The lemon was discovered in a 19th century cupboard. The auction house director suggested that the citrus fruit was a gift from colonial India. It is engraved as follows: “Presented by Mr. P. Lou Franchini on November 4th… pic.twitter.com/cCoYfcNHPG

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The precious lemon was discovered by an expert who was photographing the cabinet for auction. according to Sun. The lemon was engraved with the message, “Given to Miss E. Baxter by Mr. P. Lou Franchini on November 4, 1739.'' Lemons are believed to have been brought from colonial India as a romantic gift, the newspaper reported.

“We thought we'd have a little fun and put it up for auction with an estimate of between £40 and £60,” auctioneer David Brettell said, according to The Sun newspaper. (Related: Harrison Ford's incomplete Star Wars script goes up for auction in London: report)

Instead, a bidding war broke out, with the price rising to £1,100 plus fees.

It may seem expensive, but everything has a price. You can't expect life to just “give you” lemons.