Carpet cleaner John Carcerano discovered the piece of porcelain, which was hidden underneath a more modern plate, was actually an 18th-century Chinese armorial export plate.
Carcerano then quickly took a photo of the plate using Google Lens and noticed that a similar version of the plate had been sold for $4,400, leading him to quickly make the purchase.
According to Newsweek, the Sotheby’s specialist said the plate was specifically a “Chinese export armorial chamfered rectangular platter” from the Qing dynasty's Qianlong period from around 1775.
Man thrifts plate for $5 — then discovers it’s worth thousands The plate’s estimated value is between $4,000 and $6,000.
“The plate was underneath a modern plate and three other people were digging on the cart with me,” he continued.
