When pressed on the side, the 1856 coin
opens, showing this image of Queen Victoria.

Twelve years ago, a local collector got his hands on a rare Victorian coin, one that opens to reveal a peculiar compartment. The man, who hails from East Trinidad, has searched every nook and cranny, seeking information on the 1956 French ten-centimes piece—but to no avail. In anticipation of Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to T&T for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, the 43-year-old, who’s chosen to speak of his find on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, says he hopes Her Majesty will take interest and possibly offer some information.

Simple purchase leads to possible fortune
“I purchased the coin from a collector in Santa Cruz, here in Trinidad some ten or 12 years ago,” he said. At the time of the sale, neither of the collectors knew the unique nature of the rare item. It was following the purchase, while looking at the coin, that a hidden secret was revealed. On one side, there was a notch that, when pressed down, opened toward the centre to reveal a likeness of Queen Victoria—the monarch who’d ruled the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 till her death in 1901. “When I saw it, I took it back to the person I’d purchased it from.”

The coin enthusiast said he showed his fellow collector what he’d stumbled upon, telling him that his conscience would not allow him to hold on to the coin without revealing its possible fortune to its first owner. He said the seller however chose to remain true to his bargain, saying a deal was a deal. Since that time, the man, who collects not only coins, but bank notes and stamps as well, says he’s been searching the world for a clue as to how the coin came to be.

No answers
“I’ve searched catalogues but the coin is not listed.” He says another coin from the year 1955 was purchased some time after and that one was in fact catalogued—however, there was no compartment bearing the Victorian semblance, like that of his rare find. is research has led to many questions, one of which is, why would a French coin display the Queen of England’s photo when both territories were at loggerheads during that time? To date, his research, time and effort have borne no fruit. He’s sent photos of the coin to the Victoria and Albert museum in England but they simply confirmed the Queen’s image, giving no further information.

One collector in Washington DC has offered up to US$25,000, once given the opportunity to look at the coin up close. A medical sales representative by profession, the coin fancier says he thinks the coin may have been privately made, as it is not listed in any catalogue. “It could not have been made at a mint,” he said, owing to the fact that there has been no record of a similar item. With stamps dated back to 1876 and coins from the era AD 284–305, the T&T national says he’s holding on to hope that there will be some revelation surrounding the distinctive piece of currency. In the meantime, he urges anyone with information to contact the Guardian.