Italian man finds 2 billion lire in deceased uncle's safe

Stefano P., a 51-year-old resident of Cuneo, discovered more than two billion Italian lire in a bank safe deposit box belonging to his deceased uncle. At the official conversion rate of 1,936.27 lire to one euro, the sum is worth approximately 1.03 million euros.

However, the Banca d'Italia has refused to convert the currency into euros. The legal deadline for the ordinary exchange of lire ended on February 28, 2012. Under current regulations, conversion is only permitted in exceptional cases where an individual can prove they submitted a formal request between December 6, 2011, and February 28, 2012.

In response to the refusal, Stefano has sought assistance from the Associazione Italia. Legal representatives are considering a lawsuit based on Article 2935 of the Italian Civil Code, arguing that the ten-year statute of limitations should only begin from the date the money was actually discovered, as the heir had no prior knowledge of the funds.