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1 Gourde
| Issuer | Banque Nationale d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1883 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI UNE GOURDE Série A50 Ce billet émis sous la garantie du Gouvernement et contrôle du Syndicat roux dans toute la République pour la valeur d'UNE GOURDE en vertu du Décret de l'Assemblée Nationale du 10 Octobre 1883 Il sera remboursé par le Trésor d'importation créé par la loi du 28 Août 1883. |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in green and divided into a symmetrical geometric composition of dense guilloche latticework, with two large mirrored ornamental letter H monograms flanking a central oval panel. The oval contains a multi-line text block in French stating the penal provisions against counterfeiting, all enclosed within interlocking meander borders and rosette corner pieces. At the foot of the note the printer's imprint reads AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY, NEW YORK. |
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| Comments |
The Banque Nationale d'Haïti was a peculiar institution — nominally Haitian, but established under a concession granted to French banking interests in 1880, with the actual management firmly in Paris. This 1883 note was produced at a moment when Haiti's public finances were under severe strain, partly from the ongoing debt service obligations tied to the 1825 indemnity France had extracted as the price of diplomatic recognition.
ABNC's involvement was typical of the period — Port-au-Prince lacked the infrastructure, and Latin American and Caribbean governments routinely contracted New York or European security printers for their fiduciary issues. The bank's concession would be renewed and contested repeatedly before American occupation in 1915 restructured the entire system.