Looted Benghazi treasure “may be in Egypt”

Priceless ancient treasure stolen from a bank vault in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi may have begun resurfacing.

The BBC reported that Libya's National Transitional Council says several hundred ancient coins – part of a looted collection known as the Treasure of Benghazi – may have turned up in Egypt.

Reuters, meanwhile, says its reporters have spotted ancient bronze coins being sold in Benghazi's own local markets.

Read more on GlobalPost: Libya celebrates liberation

An estimated 8,000 precious artifacts, including coins dating back to Greek, Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic times, were taken from the Commercial Bank of Benghazi in February.

According to the BBC, most of the collection had been discovered during the Italian occupation of Libya. After being kept abroad, the artifacts were returned to Libya after its independence in 1961.

Chair of the Tripoli Museum, Dr Saleh Algab, said the coins were never photographed or documented, but were a valuable representation of Libyan history.

Benghazi director of antiquities, Yussuf ben Nasr, told Reuters the loss of the artifacts was “a disaster”.

"These are priceless national treasures, pieces of our history that have been lost … There's not much we can do except ask institutions around the world to help us acquire Libyan antiquities if they turn up, so they can be returned.”

International antiquities markets were being monitored, Libya's acting minister for antiquities Fadel al-Hasi told the BBC.