Fare to say ancient coin has travelled through time

Millennia after its creation, the rare coin first came into the hands of James Edwards, former chief cashier with Leeds City Transport, who gathered fares from bus and tram drivers and counted them at the end of each day.

Plucking out any ineligible, fake or foreign coins which couldn’t be cashed up, Mr Edwards would take them home and gift them to his young grandson Peter, who kept the precious mementos in a small 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.”

Still intrigued decades later by one particular coin and its curious inscription, Peter was determined to uncover its origin. His diligent research revealed his grandfather’s gift came from what was once a Carthaginian settlement on the Spanish coast.

On one side it bears the face of the god Melqart, resembling the Greek hero Herakles and wearing his famed lionskin headdress. At that time, some Phoenician coins carried Greek imagery to make them more appealing to traders.

Realising the coin’s remarkable age and significance, Peter contacted Leeds Museums and Galleries and kindly donated it so it could become part of their impressive collection of ancient currency.

He 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.”

The coin will now be part of the collection based at Leeds Discovery Centre, which includes coins and currency from cultures around the world spanning thousands of years of history.

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.”

Leeds Discovery Centre is open to the public for pre-booked tours and is a Give What You Can museum, where visitors are invited to donate to support the museum if they are able.

Donations can be made when booking a tour online, and with cash and coins in a donation box in reception. 

For more details please visit: Visit Leeds Discovery Centre | Leeds Museums and Galleries | Days out and exhibitions

ENDS