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A lucky man is hunting the heirs of a EUR 190,000 fortune in postal savings bonds he discovered hidden inside an old sideboard so he can claim a finder’s fee when they are cashed in.
The extraordinary discovery was made in Crema, Italy, and came to light on 6th August.
Buyer Mauro Benzoni, 45, said he had purchased the sideboard from a seller in Pavia about a year earlier.
He left it untouched in a farmhouse until recently, when he decided to restore it.
While cleaning, he uncovered a false bottom in one of the drawers.
Inside were 18 interest-bearing postal savings certificates issued between 1992 and 1994 with a total original value of 18.2 million lire.
With accrued interest, they are now worth around EUR 190,000 (GBP 165,000).
The bonds are registered to siblings Carlo and Francesca De Martino, born in 1907 and 1911, who are believed to be deceased.
Only their heirs can cash them in, and they are valid until 2032.
Benzoni has contacted the authorities in Lodi, handed over the bonds, and launched a public appeal for any heirs to come forward.
Under Italian law, anyone who returns lost property is entitled to 10 per cent of its value, meaning Benzoni could receive EUR 19,000 (GBP 16,500) if the rightful owners are traced.
Aside from the financial interest at stake, Benzoni says his gesture is primarily motivated by civic duty: "I just want that money to go to those who truly deserve it."
The case has been taken on by lawyer Francesco Di Giovanni from the Rome Bar Association, who is working alongside the police to identify the family.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Copychecker: Marija Stojkoska
Byline Illustrator: Marija Stojkoska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Crema,_Lombardy
Subject: Real-life, Inspirational, Social media, Society
T4 Editor Story Rating: 8
T4 Editor Pic/Vid rating: 7
T4 Total rating: 7.5
