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1 Gourde
| Issuer | Banque Nationale d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1883 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | The obverse carries the inscription REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI across the top, with a central vignette of a tropical harbour scene with sailing vessels and palm trees. To the right, a portrait bust of a female figure wearing a laurel wreath is set within an ornate frame, while to the left a large numeral 1 appears in an engraved panel. A serial number and series letter appear in the upper field, and a lengthy French text in the lower portion cites the legislative authority under the law of 28 August 1883. |
|---|---|
| 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. |
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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.