A Pennsylvania woman may have struck gold after she bought a drawing for $12 (Rs 1,026) from an antique store, only for experts to estimate its original worth to be in excess of $1 million (Rs 8.5 crore). the painting is believed to be a rare Pierre-Auguste Renoir charcoal drawing that the French artist must have painted during the 1800s.

The woman identified as Heidi Markow, who owns an antiques business, found the 17.5in by 16.5in drawing at a collector's auction in Montgomery county in January. Immediately after spotting the painting, she inisted upon her husband to buy it.

Her husband went ahead with the process of buying the picture, later revealing that he had succeeded in snagging it for just $12.

Upon reaching home, Ms Markow started analysing the painting and noted the type of paper and a stamp on the back signifying it was brought to the US by a high-end importer who sold it to a prominent collector. She also spotted a faint signature which the experts concurred belonged to the legendary French impressionist.

She suspects the painting is a portrait of Renoir's wife, Aline Charigot, from a period when "he paid a lot of attention to light and shading".

Subsequently, Ms Markow reached out to the prestigious Wildenstein Plattner Institute (WPI), a New York-based non-profit that preserves art history. The team is scheduled to authenticate the piece on April 10, a process she called "rigorous." "They're pretty tough with their examination. I'm cautiously optimistic," Ms Markow said. If authenticated, Ms Markow hopes to sell the painting for about "six or seven figures" to someone who truly appreciates its beauty.