- A 2,000-year-old Carthaginian coin was used unknowingly as bus fare in England
- The coin dates back to the first century BC and was minted in what is now Cadiz
- James Edwards found the coin in the 1950s while collecting unusable bus fare coins
A simple bus fare transaction has turned into a surprising historical discovery, drawing attention to how ordinary objects can carry extraordinary pasts, reported NYPost. A 2,000-year-old coin was unknowingly used as bus fare in England before officials realised that it dated back to the Carthaginian Empire. The artifact, produced in what is now Cadiz, was recently donated to Leeds Museums and Galleries, according to a statement from the City of Leeds.
Carthage, an ancient civilisation located in North Africa, flourished from approximately 800 BC to 146 BC, and this coin is believed to date back to the first century BC.
The object was first discovered in the 1950s by James Edwards, who worked for Leeds City Transport, collecting fares from bus and tram drivers. He would separate out coins that were unusable, including foreign or counterfeit coins, and take them home.
He later passed the coin to his grandson, Peter Edwards, who preserved it in a wooden box for many years.
Now 77, Peter Edwards recently rediscovered the coin and began researching its origins. He said that while neither of them were coin collectors, its shape and history fascinated them, making it a treasure.
He also explained that the coin always puzzled him because it was difficult to understand its origin.
Peter Edwards then donated the coin to the Leeds Discovery Centre, a free museum that houses coins and currencies dating back thousands of years from civilisations around the world.
Officials believe the coin may have been brought back by a soldier returning to the city, though they say its exact origin will never be known. Similar coins have been found before, which helped experts identify it. A curator in Leeds confirmed the coin's identity and provided more information after the donation.
This Carthaginian coin bears the image of the god Melqart, who is considered equivalent to Hercules in Phoenician tradition.
Officials explained that some Phoenician coins at the time also featured Greek images to make them more attractive to merchants.
Peter Edwards told city officials that his grandfather would have been proud to know the coin had returned to Leeds. He also said how it arrived there will always remain a mystery.
