A Coca-Cola bottle bought for a mere $4 turned out to be worth an estimated $5,000, ABC News reported.

The bottle was purchased last fall at a flea market in Albuquerque, New Mexico by a man who was intrigued by its aged appearance and label that read "wine coca." Research into the bottle's background revealed it was one of three bottles in existence created by Dr. John Pemberton, an Atlanta-based pharmacist who created the soft drink Coca-Cola.

"It's the oldest Coke relic there is," Heritage Auction house public relations director Noah Fleisher said of the bottle, which dates back to the 1880s.

The bottle is set to be auctioned off on Saturday. It is expected to sell for $5,000, ABC News reported.

Jim Vergo, who bought the bottle, said he had to research his purchase on the Internet to find out what the "Pemberton" imprint meant.

"It was embossed with the name Pemberton," the art glass collector said according to ABC News. "I'm not a big Coca-Cola collector so it wasn't until I got home that I Googled and saw that it was Dr. Pemberton, the creator of Coca-Cola."

With coca leaves on the label, the bottle would have contained French Wine Coca, an alcohol-based nerve tonic invented by Pemberton. The tonic is now banned.      

"A couple of these bottles have been known to exist but none have been found with a label," Fleisher told ABC News. "It's the most intact and earliest incarnation of what would become Coca-Cola."

Vergo, who also collects sports memorabilia and old toys, hopes the bottle will be purchased by someone who has a true appreciation for Coca-Cola's history.

"I thought, well, you know, maybe I should open it up to the whole world," Vergo told KOAT. "You know, put it in a major auction and let somebody that's really interested or even a club could buy it."

The auction is scheduled for Saturday, May 24.