An uncommon coin, which was utilized to pay bus fares in Leeds during the 1950s, originated from an ancient civilization. Researchers determined that it is over two millennia old.
The piece of currency, tendered to a local bus driver, eventually ended up in the possession of James Edwards, who had formerly served as the chief cashier for the Leeds City Transport company. His duties involved collecting fares and reconciling the day’s earnings.
Since the peculiar coin held no transactional value, Edwards bestowed it upon his grandson, Peter, who kept it secured in a wooden chest for upwards of seven decades.
Archaeologists from the University of Leeds established that the artifact can be traced back to the Carthaginians, a people belonging to the Phoenician culture, and was apparently unearthed in the Spanish city of Cádiz during the 1st century BCE.
One side bears the visage of the deity Melqart, whose portrayal resembles the Greek hero Heracles adorned with the lion’s scalp headdress. Melqart was the Phoenician patron deity of seafaring and the city of Tyre; the Greeks often equated him with both Heracles and Helios.
Authorities suggest the coin originates from a Carthaginian settlement situated on the Spanish coast. It is presumed the artifact arrived in Britain sometime following the Second World War, brought back by a returning soldier.
The coin has now been added to the collections of the Leeds Discovery Centre, which showcases currencies from various global cultures.
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