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2 Gourdes
| Issuer | République d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1883 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI DEUX GOURDES SERIE B14 No 02557 |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in red-brown ink and dominated by an intricate geometric lathe-work pattern of interlocking diagonal bands forming a large central lozenge framework. A central oval panel contains a multi-line text legend in English stating the penalties for counterfeiting. Large numerals '2' appear at the left and right within guilloche cartouches. The entire design is framed by a dense scalloped lace-work border, with the printer's imprint 'American Bank Note Co. New York' at the foot. |
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| Comments |
Haiti's 1883 note issues came during a period of chronic fiscal instability, when successive governments borrowed heavily against customs revenues and paper money was printed in quantities that outpaced any realistic backing. The American Bank Note Company had been supplying Haitian currency since the 1870s, and this note is part of that extended relationship — ABNC held the contract through repeated changes of administration in Port-au-Prince, which says something about how few alternatives existed for a Caribbean government needing engraved security printing.
Surviving examples from this series are genuinely scarce. Paper currency in 19th-century Haiti suffered badly from the climate, and redemption rates were irregular at best.