Catalog
1 Gourde Independence
| Issuer | Banque Nationale d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1903 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The obverse carries portrait vignettes of Emperor Jacques I (Jean-Jacques Dessalines, 1758–1806) and President Pierre Nord Alexis (1820–1910), flanking the National Coat of Arms of Haiti, all set within an elaborate engraved border typical of American Bank Note Company workmanship. The composition commemorates the centennial of Haitian independence, with the two figures representing the revolutionary founding era and the contemporary presidency. Guilloche underprint patterns and fine-line engraving fill the surrounding field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIÉ LES BILLETS DE CETTE ÉMISSION ET CEUX QUI AURONT FAIT USAGE DE CES BILLETS CONTREFAITS OU FALSIFIÉS SERONT PUNIS CONFORMÉMENT À LA LOI. REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY |
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| Comments |
Haiti's 1903 1 Gourde belongs to a series issued under the Banque Nationale d'Haïti, which was itself a Franco-American concession bank — not a true central bank — operating under a charter controlled largely by the Société Générale de Crédit Industriel et Commercial in Paris. The political tension between that foreign financial grip and Haitian sovereignty ran throughout this period, making even routine small-denomination issues politically charged instruments.
ABNC's engraving work on the Haitian series of this era is among the finer examples of their tropical-market output. The "Independence" designation in the series name references the Haitian revolutionary founding of 1804 — a branding choice, not a commemorative occasion tied to the note's issue date.