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20 Gourdes
| Issuer | Trésor Public d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1871 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The Haitian National Coat of Arms — a cannon on a carriage flanked by palm trees, flags, and cannoballs, surmounted by a Phrygian cap — is centrally placed as a typeset vignette. The note number and série are hand-stamped to the left and right of the arms respectively, with the denomination '$20' printed below. A plain rectangular border frames the face, with 'REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI' in a vertical panel at left and 'VINGT GOURDES' in a vertical panel at right, while the words 'Liberté' and 'Egalité' appear in the upper corners. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE D'HAITI Liberté Egalité N° 24. Série Y. $ 20 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 22 Juillet 1871. Les Membres de la Délégation VINGT GOURDES |
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| Comments |
Haiti's Trésor Public issues of the 1870s were produced during a period of chronic fiscal instability, when successive governments struggled to maintain any credible backing for paper currency. The 20 Gourdes denomination from 1871 falls within a series that circulated alongside foreign coin and was routinely discounted by merchants who distrusted state-issued paper.
Survivors are genuinely rare. The tropical climate was hard on paper currency, and periodic currency reforms — particularly the overhaul that followed the 1872 political upheaval under Nissage Saget's administration — resulted in mass redemption and destruction of outstanding notes.