The Associated Press
From correspondents in Miami
November 16, 2004

A 10-year-old grilled cheese sandwich a Florida woman says bears the image of the Virgin Mary was back on eBay Tuesday after the Internet auction house initially canceled bids that went up to $US22,000 ($28,486).

Owner Diana Duyser, 52, of Hollywood, Florida, said eBay earlier pulled the half-sandwich from its listings, telling her it does not allow items intended as a joke.

But the snack was back on eBay Tuesday along with a picture of a sandwich bearing what appears to be the image of a woman’s face.

“I made this sandwich 10 years ago. When I took a bite out of it, I saw a face looking up at me; it was Virgin Mary starring (sic) back at me. I was in total shock; I would like to point out there is no mold or (disintegration),” the message said.

It says the sandwich, preserved in a plastic box, has brought “blessings” to its owner.

“I have won 70,000 dollars (total) on different occasions at the casino nearby my house; I can show the recipts (sic) to the high bidder,” the message said.

But Duyser was out of luck on the reported $US22,000 bid she got for the sandwich before eBay disqualified the auction.

“The last time this was listed, there were over 80,000 viewers,” the message said, adding that the auction elicited many e-mails, some of them “downright cruel.”

The starting bid on the latest auction was $3000 ($3884). Winning bid: US $28,000.00

View the actual closed auction here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=19270&item=5535890757