Hi Paul,
I am a stairlift engineer and seeing as a coin got trapped underneath the lift I would say that the fault is down to the safety gear engaging into the track caused by the coin.
If your lift runs on a chain then there are two ways of dis engaging the safety gear to get it working again.
Method 1:Turn lift off at the mains switch which is usually situated at the top of the stairs,remove the oblong aluminium plate situated on the up side of the carriage insert the winding handle into the whole and onto the shaft and turn in the up direction until you can visibly see the stairlift move up an inch on the track.
Remove hand wind refit oblong plate turn the lift back on and drive the lift up.
Method 2:Use this method if you do not have a winding handle.Turn the lift off insert a flat long screwdriver underneath the chain on the upside and pull chain up until you can get your hand underneath the chain.
Then pull the chain upwards towards the ceiling and the slowly let it back down.
Turn the lift back on and run the lift up.
Problem solved
Briton
July 2009