250 Gourdes Henri Christophe, Obverse Trial

Henri Christophe ruled the northern Kingdom of Haiti from 1811 until his suicide in 1820, following a stroke that left him partially paralyzed and facing a military revolt. This 250 Gourdes piece belongs to a Franklin Mint-produced commemorative series issued under the Duvalier government — an administration that showed little ideological discomfort in celebrating the revolutionary founding generation while suppressing its own population. Trial pieces from this program exist in both silver and other metals, struck to test die quality and surface finish before the production run was approved.