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Coin Used for Bus Fare Turns Out to Be 2k-Year-Old Carthaginian Artifact

3 hours ago
  • A bronze coin from ancient Carthage was discovered among bus fares in Leeds, England, in the 1950s.
  • The coin was minted over 2,000 years ago in the Phoenician city of Gadir, now Cádiz, Spain.
  • It features the god Melqart on one side and two tuna fish on the other, reflecting local trade and culture.
  • The coin was kept by a bus company cashier and later identified by his grandson with expert help.
  • How the coin traveled from the ancient Mediterranean to 20th-century England remains unknown.
  • The coin is now preserved and displayed by Leeds Museums and Galleries.