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1/2 Crown - Henri Christophe Essai
| Issuer | Haiti (1804-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1812 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Henri Christophe (Henri I, King of Haiti) facing right, rendered in a classical portrait style. The effigy depicts the king in military or regal dress, with the legend encircling the bust along the rim. The word ESSAI appears in the lower field beneath the truncation, denoting the trial or pattern status of the piece. The portrait is boldly modeled with fine detail in the hair and drapery. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Henri Christophe ruled the northern Kingdom of Haiti as Henri I from 1811, having split the island's revolutionary republic into two rival states — his monarchy in the north, Pétion's republic in the south. This essai was struck in 1812 as part of a proposed coinage for the kingdom, almost certainly produced in France or England rather than domestically, as Haiti had no functioning mint infrastructure at the time.
The kingdom itself lasted only until 1820, when Christophe suffered a stroke and, facing a military revolt, shot himself with a silver bullet — or so the account persists.