Florida (USA) - The first attempt failed. But fortunately, the already ancient Coca-Cola bottle had to wait a few more years. A man discovered the bottle in an antique store in Florida. As he was unable to pay the 100 US dollars (88.80 euros) required, he simply took a photo of his curious find. When he showed it to a museum guide at the World of Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta two years later, he immediately caused quite a stir.

While the oldest bottle in the museum dates back to the 1940s, the guide estimated the Coke in the photo to be from around 1900! It quickly became clear that the bottle must have considerable historical value.

Luckily for him, the man found the special piece again when he wanted to buy it in the antique store a while later. This time he was able to buy it for 75 US dollars (66.57 euros).

"I was happy to make this purchase and now it is one of my most prized possessions, even though I know for a fact that it belongs in a museum," the man, who wished to remain anonymous, told Newsweek.

But it is very difficult to determine the value of the old Coca-Cola bottle. In the meantime, the buyer has done some research.

So he went to the Antiques Roadshow at the Georgia State Raceway Museum at the end of April. There, however, there was a certain perplexity.

The bottle buyer told US Magazine , "My appraiser was flabbergasted when he couldn't find anything on his computer to compare my bottle to. He could only estimate the value because he had never seen a sealed bottle from the early 20th century before."

He continued: "He was pretty sure it had never been opened. He estimated the historical value at 1000 dollars or significantly more at auction," he explained.

Dan Deane, vice president of the Coca-Cola Collectors Club, has since been able to shed light on the matter, according to Newsweek: "These bottles are rarer because their use was discontinued within a few years of the introduction of the famous Coke bottle shape known as the 'Hobble Skirt Bottle'."

He estimated the value at around 500 US dollars (444.30 euros). Not bad for a stake of 75 dollars!