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100 Gourdes
| Issuer | Banque de la République d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980-1982 |
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| Reference(s) | P#236A |
| Obverse description | Central vignette comprises an intaglio portrait of Henri Christophe — President of Northern Haiti and subsequently King Henri I — set within an intricate guilloche framework. The denomination numeral "100" appears in large format at left and right within ornate lathe-work panels, with the bank title inscribed across the upper margin. The overall colour scheme is rendered in deep purple-violet on a light underprint. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI 100G CENT GOURDES L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Translation: Bank of the Republic of Haiti, One Hundred Gourdes / Unity Makes Strength) |
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| Comments |
Haiti's 100 Gourdes of 1980–1982 belongs to one of the earliest experiments with Tyvek polymer substrate in circulating currency anywhere in the world. The material — a spunbonded olefin manufactured by DuPont — was tested by several central banks during this period as a durability solution for tropical climates where high humidity destroys conventional cotton-rag paper rapidly. Haiti was among the first Caribbean issuers to commit to it.
The Tyvek program ultimately failed across every country that adopted it. The substrate resisted tearing but proved susceptible to irreversible folding creases and became slippery in the hand, accelerating mechanical damage in high-turnover retail use. Notes crinkled permanently rather than recovering. Most surviving examples show this characteristic deformation regardless of how carefully they were stored.
ABNC produced only a limited print run before the series was abandoned in favor of conventional paper.