A mysterious coin once used to pay a bus fare in Leeds has been identified as a rare artefact minted more than 2,000 years ago by an ancient civilisation.
The coin, handed to an unsuspecting bus driver in the 1950s, was produced by the Carthaginians, part of the Phoenician culture, in the Spanish city of Cadiz during the 1st century BC. It has now been donated to Leeds Museums and Galleries. More than two millennia after it was created, the coin came into the hands of James Edwards, a former chief cashier with Leeds City Transport, who collected fares from bus and tram drivers and counted them at the end of each day.
Any fake, foreign or invalid coins that could not be processed were set aside by Mr Edwards, who would take them home and give them to his young grandson Peter. He kept the small collection of unusual coins in a wooden chest for more than 70 years.
Peter Edwards, now 77 said: “My grandfather would come across coins which were not British and put them to one side, and when I went to his house, he would hand me a few.
“It was not long after the war, so I imagine soldiers returned with coins from countries they had been sent to. Neither of us were coin collectors but we were fascinated by their origin and imagery – to me they were treasure.”
Decades later, still intrigued by one coin in particular and its curious inscription, Peter decided to investigate its origins. His research revealed that his grandfather’s gift had come from what was once a Carthaginian settlement on the Spanish coast. One side of the coin bears the head of the god Melqart, depicted in the style of the Greek hero Herakles and wearing the famous lionskin headdress. At the time, some Phoenician coins adopted Greek imagery to make them more appealing to traders.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for adult social care, active lifestyles and culture said:
“It’s incredible to imagine how this tiny piece of history created by an ancient civilisation thousands of years ago has somehow made its way to Leeds and into our collection.
“Museums like ours are not just about preserving objects, they’re also about telling stories like this one and inspiring visitors to think about the history that’s all around us, sometimes in the most unlikely of places.”
Recognising the coin’s age and historical significance, Peter contacted Leeds Museums and Galleries and donated it to join the institution’s collection of ancient currency. The coin will now become part of the collection at Leeds Discovery Centre, which includes coins and currency from cultures around the world spanning thousands of years of history.
Peter Edwards added: “The coin always fascinated me because it was hard to decipher where it came from.
“My first thought when I found out its origin was that I would like to return it to an institute where it could be studied by all, and Leeds Museums and Galleries kindly offered to give it a good home.
“My grandfather would be proud to know, as I am, that the coin is coming back to Leeds. However, how it got there will always be a mystery.”
Leeds Discovery Centre is open to the public through pre-booked tours and operates on a Give What You Can basis, inviting visitors to donate if they are able. Contributions can be made when booking online or by leaving cash or coins in the donation box at reception.
