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5 Gourdes - Faustin I Essai
| Issuer | Empire of Haiti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1854 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Gourdes |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed bust of Emperor Faustin I facing left, rendered in high relief with naturalistic portrait detail including closely cropped curly hair. The effigy is set within a broad, smooth field with a finely toothed border encircling the design. The legend FAUSTIN IER. is inscribed along the left periphery and EMPEREUR. along the right, both in raised Latin capital letters following the coin's circumference. The portrait reflects a dignified imperial style consistent with mid-19th century French medallic tradition. The truncation of the bust is plain and unadorned. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Faustin Soulouque declared himself Emperor Faustin I in 1849 after serving as president, a move that shocked foreign observers who had assumed Haiti's republican government was stable. His reign lasted until 1859, when a military uprising forced him into exile in Jamaica. The essai designation here is significant: pattern issues of this period were often struck in Paris, and the copper format suggests this was a proposed denomination that never advanced to circulation — Haiti's monetary system under Faustin remained chaotic, and ambitious coinage programs frequently stalled at the trial stage.