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Leonardo's original, which French King Francois I bought from the painter in 1518, can be found in Paris' Louvre museum and is not for sale.

But the copy that is up for sale, dating from around 1600, is so similar to the original that it is likely that the artist had close access to Leonardo's version, the Artcurial auction house said.

It estimates the copy will fetch $173,000 to $230,000.

In June, a European collector bought another 17th century copy of Mona Lisa for around $3.3 million, a record for a reproduction of the work, at an auction at Christie's in Paris.