Catalog
20 Gourdes
| Issuer | Trésor Public d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1827 |
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| Currency | First gourde (1813-1870) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI Liberté. Egalité. No 1. Serie A. VINGT GOURDES. Le présent billet circulera dans la République pour la valeur de VINGT GOURDES, et le Trésor public en garantit la valeur au porteur, en vertu de la loi du 16. Avril 1827. Le Membre Signataire, Le Controleur, Vingt Gourdes. |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, consisting of plain white paper with no design, lettering, ornamentation, or underprint of any kind. |
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| Comments |
The Trésor Public d'Haïti was established under Jean-Pierre Boyer's administration as Haiti struggled to manage the consequences of the 1825 indemnity agreement with France — the ruinous 150-million-franc debt extracted in exchange for diplomatic recognition. Paper money issued through this period was deeply distrusted by the Haitian population, and treasury notes rarely circulated at face value for long.
Pick 21 is among the earliest documented Haitian paper issues, and surviving examples are genuinely rare. The government's printing capacity was limited, and much of what was produced was redeemed, defaced, or simply lost during the political instability of the Boyer years.