Illegal tender.

When the euro arrived, we were given ample warning about the date when the old Lira could no longer be used.

After this date, we were advised to change the Lira in the bank. I did this once and remeber the clerk pretending not to be irritated as she counted all the coins.

In the mean time, Sofia Loren was in an ad, inviting us to donate our old coins to charity.

For some unknown reason, I decided to hang on to all my remaining coins.

As the months and years passed there were more and yet more of them as they emerged from unused drawers, clothing and every conceivable nook and cranny.

I have about ten kg of coins, jammed into plastic bottles which come in very useful as door stoppers in the summer. I'm not a horder, nor am I very interested in objects unless I can do something interesting with them.... but these worthless coins... I'm glad I didn't let Sofia get them.