Coin Used as a Bus Fare is 2,000 Years Old

Kat Baxter, Leeds Museum and Galleries’ curator of archaeology and numismatics, shows the ancient coin.

March

/ 2026

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A seemingly unremarkable foreign coin, once used to pay for a bus ride in Leeds, England, in the 1950s, has been identified as a rare 2,000-year-old artifact from an ancient Mediterranean civilization. The bronze coin, minted by Carthaginians in the 1st century BC, has completed a mysterious journey through time and has now been donated to Leeds Museums and Galleries, where its incredible story is being shared.

A Grandfather's Gift of "Treasure"

The story begins with James Edwards, a former chief cashier for Leeds City Transport. His job involved counting the fares collected by bus and tram drivers, and he would often set aside any foreign or fake coins he found. He would then gift these curiosities to his young grandson, Peter.

James Edwards, former chief cashier with Leeds City Transport, who originally saved the coin. (Leeds City Council)

“Neither of us were coin collectors, but we were fascinated by their origin and imagery – to me they were treasure,” Peter Edwards, now 77, recalled in a statement to the Leeds City Council.

For over 70 years, Peter kept the coins in a small wooden chest. He imagined they might have been brought back by soldiers returning from the war. One coin in particular, with its unusual design, always intrigued him. Decades later, his determination to uncover its origins would lead to an astonishing discovery, revealing a direct link to the world of the ancient Phoenicians.

A close-up of the ancient Phoenician coin, showing the head of the god Melqart. (Leeds City Council)

Identifying the Ancient Artifact

Peter's research revealed the coin was not just from another country, but from another millennium. Experts at the Leeds Museums and Galleries confirmed that the bronze piece was a Carthaginian coin, minted in the ancient city of Gadir (modern-day Cádiz, Spain) during the 1st century BC. Gadir was one of the oldest and most important settlements of the Phoenicians, a civilization renowned for its maritime trade across the Mediterranean.

The coin’s obverse features the head of the god Melqart, a chief deity of the Phoenician city of Tyre, who is depicted wearing the distinctive lionskin headdress of the Greek hero Heracles. This blending of cultures was a common practice, designed to make the currency more acceptable to different trading partners. The reverse side shows two bluefin tuna, a clear nod to the vital fishing industry that was the backbone of Gadir’s economy.

A Mysterious Journey Through Time

How the 2,000-year-old coin found its way into a Leeds bus fare box in the 1950s remains a complete mystery.

“My grandfather would be proud to know, as I am, that the coin is coming back to Leeds,” Peter said. “However, how it got there will always be a mystery.”

After realizing its historical significance, Peter knew he had to share it.

He donated the artifact to the Leeds Museums and Galleries, where it has become part of the collection at the Leeds Discovery Centre. Councillor Salma Arif of Leeds City Council commented on the unique acquisition, stating, “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.” The coin serves as a powerful reminder that history is all around us, often in the most unexpected of places.

The reverse of the coin, with two bluefin tuna. (Leeds City Council)

This small piece of bronze, once a simple bus fare, has become a priceless link to the ancient world, connecting a family in Leeds to the vast trading networks of the Phoenicians and the rich history of one of Europe's oldest cities, Gadir.

Top image: Kat Baxter, Leeds Museum and Galleries’ curator of archaeology and numismatics, shows the ancient coin. Source: Leeds City Council

By Gary Manners