Thrift store chain Value Village received an unusual donation recently at its St. John's location — what is believed to be an authentic John Lyman oil painting.

Lyman was a 20th-century American-born Canadian modernist painter.

About a month ago, art appraiser Elizabeth Scammell-Reynolds was asked to look at the piece that had a bit of an unusual back story.

"A guy from Value Village phoned me and said that they have a painting that they thought was something real — and something good," said Scammell-Reynolds.

As it turned out, the store did have something good — a landscape oil painting by John Lyman.

It's Scammell-Reynolds' opinion that the painting is authentic.

"It's the right age, it's from the right place ... the signature matches."

She offered to send it away to an authenticator and to even help auction it off.

"The painting was a typical Canadian ... what I would call a typical Canadian landscape with some trees, some bushes, lake in the back ... sort of towards the background in the back and a sky."

Art appraiser and expert Elizabeth Scammell-Reynolds believes the donated oil painting is authentic. (CBC)

Scammell-Reynolds has appraised the painting's value between $7,000 and $15,000 at auction, contingent on the bidder and how much interest a painting could garner.

Value Village says with larger-priced donations such as the Lyman painting, they hold off on putting those items out for sale, in case someone made the donation by accident. If the owner realizes the mistake, there is a formal appeal process.

Not the first time thrift store has seen big ticket items

A spokesperson for Value Village said the Lyman painting is not the only big ticket item they've seen. In the past six months, there have been engagement rings, wedding rings in their donation bin — even a brand new $4,500 fur coat.

Since nobody has come forward regarding the painting, the company plans to auction it off and donate some of the money to its non-profit partner, the Canadian Diabetes Association.