diff --git a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/common/formats/AuctionJsonRepresentation.java b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/common/formats/AuctionJsonRepresentation.java
index 4500423..ea4cf2c 100644
--- a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/common/formats/AuctionJsonRepresentation.java
+++ b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/adapter/common/formats/AuctionJsonRepresentation.java
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import lombok.Getter;
 import lombok.Setter;
 
+import java.sql.Timestamp;
+
 /**
  * Used to expose a representation of the state of an auction through an interface. This class is
  * only meant as a starting point when defining a uniform HTTP API for the Auction House: feel free
@@ -28,12 +30,12 @@ public class AuctionJsonRepresentation {
     private String taskType;
 
     @Getter @Setter
-    private Integer deadline;
+    private Timestamp deadline;
 
     public AuctionJsonRepresentation() {  }
 
     public AuctionJsonRepresentation(String auctionId, String auctionHouseUri, String taskUri,
-            String taskType, Integer deadline) {
+                                     String taskType, Timestamp deadline) {
         this.auctionId = auctionId;
         this.auctionHouseUri = auctionHouseUri;
         this.taskUri = taskUri;
diff --git a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/application/service/StartAuctionService.java b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/application/service/StartAuctionService.java
index b9d9d3d..60c5f24 100644
--- a/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/application/service/StartAuctionService.java
+++ b/tapas-auction-house/src/main/java/ch/unisg/tapas/auctionhouse/application/service/StartAuctionService.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;
 
+import java.sql.Timestamp;
 import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 public class StartAuctionService implements LaunchAuctionUseCase {
     private static final Logger LOGGER = LogManager.getLogger(StartAuctionService.class);
 
-    private final static int DEFAULT_AUCTION_DEADLINE_MILLIS = 10000;
+    private final Timestamp DEFAULT_AUCTION_DEADLINE_MILLIS = Timestamp.valueOf("1970-01-01 00:00:01");
 
     // Event port used to publish an auction started event
     private final AuctionStartedEventPort auctionStartedEventPort;