Wow! 2,000-Year-Old Treasure Unearthed in Unexpected Twist

Quick Smiles:

• A 2,100-year-old coin from ancient Spain surfaced as bus fare in Leeds.
• Grandpa gifted foreign coins to his grandson, sparking lifelong wonder.
• Now donated to Leeds Museums, it reveals a seafaring treasure’s journey.

Struck over 2,000 years ago by Phoenician mariners near modern Cadiz, Spain, this remarkable coin mysteriously reached Leeds, where it was tendered as bus fare.

James Edwards, a Leeds City Transport cashier, collected odd coins from drivers and shared them with his grandson Peter as cherished keepsakes.

“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,” said Peter Edwards.

“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.”

Peter’s research uncovered its origins in a Carthaginian settlement, featuring the god Melqart resembling Herakles, and he generously donated it to Leeds Museums and Galleries.

Featuring global currencies spanning millennia, the Leeds Discovery Centre now safeguards this Phoenician gem.

“It’s incredible to imagine how this tiny piece of history created by an ancient civilization thousands of years ago has somehow made its way to Leeds,” said Salma Arif, a Leeds city councilwoman.

“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.”

“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.”

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