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20 Gourdes
| Issuer | Trésor Public d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1827 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | At centre, the Haitian national coat of arms — a palm tree surmounted by a Phrygian cap, flanked by cannons and a trophy of flags and weapons at the base — forms the principal vignette within a plain rectangular border. The legend RÉPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI runs vertically along the left margin, with VINGT GOURDES on the right; below the arms, a printed text invokes the authorising law of 16 April 1827 and provides manuscript spaces for series, number, and two handwritten signatures beneath the printed titles LE MEMBRE SIGNATAIRE and LE CONTROLEUR. The overall design is executed in a simple letterpress style consistent with early nineteenth-century Caribbean government issue. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI Liberté. Egalité. No 1. Serie A. VINGT GOURDES. Le présent billet circulera dans la République pour la valeur de VINGT GOURDES, et le Trésor public en garantit la valeur au porteur, en vertu de la loi du 16. Avril 1827. Le Membre Signataire, Le Controleur, Vingt Gourdes. |
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| Comments |
The Trésor Public d'Haïti was established under Jean-Pierre Boyer's administration as Haiti struggled to manage the consequences of the 1825 indemnity agreement with France — the ruinous 150-million-franc debt extracted in exchange for diplomatic recognition. Paper money issued through this period was deeply distrusted by the Haitian population, and treasury notes rarely circulated at face value for long.
Pick 21 is among the earliest documented Haitian paper issues, and surviving examples are genuinely rare. The government's printing capacity was limited, and much of what was produced was redeemed, defaced, or simply lost during the political instability of the Boyer years.