IN his desperation to obtain money for surgery, 45-year-old Dexter Cyrus is now willing to sell a rare coin which has been in his family's possession for generations.

It's a bronze half penny that Cyrus said was handed down over generations. He said one of his forefathers, who was a sugar plantation slave, was given the coin by his master.

The bronze half penny was first produced in 1860 when England was under the rule of Queen Victoria.

The "bun penny" got its name from the picture of Queen Victoria wearing her hair in a bun, engraved on the front by Leonard Charles Wyon, whose initials appear in the design. On the reverse side, a seated figure representing the then monarch was used. The half penny was no longer legal after 1969.

Cyrus claimed that the coin was first given to one of his forefathers who came to Trinidad as an immigrant to work on the plantation in Palmiste, South Trinidad. Cyrus said his forefather was an honest worker and as a reward for his hard work and dedication, he was given the coin by his English master. Since then, the coin has not left the family's possession.

Cyrus, a labourer and the father of two, said that in 1999 he suffered a back injury in an accident, affecting his ability to work. He is currently receiving assistance from the Government but says that it is not enough.

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