Catalog
2 Gourdes
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de la République d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1946-1950 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of the Citadelle Laferrière (Citadelle Henri Christophe) set within an oval frame, flanked by large guilloche numeral 2 panels on either side. The heading BANQUE NATIONALE DE LA REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI arcs across the top, with the denomination DEUX GOURDES in a cartouche below the central vignette. Three signature lines appear at the bottom, with the printer's imprint AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY beneath them. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE NATIONALE DE LA REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI DEUX GOURDES UN ADMINISTRATEUR UN DIRECTEUR UN ADMINISTRATEUR AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY |
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| Comments |
The Banque Nationale de la République d'Haïti relied on the American Bank Note Company for virtually its entire mid-century note production — a dependency rooted less in preference than in the near-total absence of domestic printing infrastructure. This 2 Gourdes belongs to a series that bridged Haiti's postwar stabilization period, when the gourde was still pegged at 5 to the U.S. dollar under an arrangement dating to the American occupation era and maintained long after U.S. forces withdrew in 1934.
The peg held through this issue's entire print run, which partly explains the denomination's modest practical role — 2 Gourdes equaled exactly 40 U.S. cents.