The ruling on disposing of a lost item before knowing its description

Question : It is not permissible for him to dispose of it until he knows its description, because its physical form disappears, and he will not know whether the claimant is telling the truth unless he has memorized its description. It is recommended that he bear witness to it.

Answer : If a person comes and says, "This is mine," he must be asked. It is said, "What is it? What is its type and quantity?" But is it required that he mention its serial number? Yes, it is not required, because people nowadays do not pay attention to the serial number. When they pay attention to the type and kind, we might say it is required for him to say that it is new, that it is heavily used, or that it is lightly used, because these papers differ based on light or heavy use.