JVPuig

Can Italian lira still be exchanged in Italy for Euros? We have about $10. US equivalent in Italian lira left over from a trip we took a few years ago. We had always thought we'd use it when we returned to Italy, but then the Euro came along. If the lira can be exchanged for Euros, are there only certain banks that would exchange? We will be in Rome for three days in October 2015, and would like to exchange the lira there. Are they now worthless, or can they be exchanged?

Edward2005

I think your lira are now elaborate bookmarks, but I could be wrong.

bvlenci

They were only convertible until 2012.

Why would you want to do that, anyway? By now they're a nice souvenir and in fifteen more years they may be worth something to collectors.

ekscrunchy

I made some cool earrings with lira coins.

bvlenci

The old 500 lire coins (worth about €0.25) resemble €2 coins. Some shopkeepers must have stocked up on them, because I occasionally get one in change without noticing.

Jean

How do you know they're worth $10?

clausar

When old currencies were converted to Euros, there was a locked exchange rate. This is how OP probably calculated how much the Lira are worth.

Alec

Put them in charity collection box at airports. I'm sure they can find a way to convert to euro or other up-to-date currencies.

nytraveler

No- it's too late. And even if they were valued at $10 it wold probably cost more than that to change them.

Sassafrass

We have many of the old currencies - nice as souvenirs.

LeilaMD

Save it for posterity or for when it truly goes antique.

asps

bvlenci, 500 lire coins have still a limited use as they can be used to unblock supermarket shopping carts. This is probably why every now and then such coins get confused with 2 euros.

sofarsogood

for info -

some of the pre-Euro currencies can still be changed at the respective national banks; and some can't.

see here for details
http://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/exchan.../index.en.html

bvlenci

I can't understand why anyone would carry around a 500-lira coin to unblock a supermarket cart. Are they afraid someone is going to nab the cart to get the coin?

Anyway, I'm sure the shopkeepers who've given me 500 lire in change knew very well what coin it was.