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50 Centimes Northern Republic of Haiti
| Issuer | République Septentrionale d'Haïti (Northern Republic of Haiti) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1888 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Centimes (0.50 HTG) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse carries the Haitian National Coat of Arms as a central vignette at left, enclosed within an ornate cartouche, with the heading REPUBLIQUE SEPTENTRIONALE D'HAITI across the top. The denomination numeral 50 appears in a guilloche-bordered panel at upper right, with the series letter and serial number printed in manuscript style. The text body, in French, states the note is issued under the guarantee of the Septentrional Government of Haiti and the control of the Syndicat, with three signature lines at the foot for the Délégué des Finances, the Délégué du Syndicat, and the Délégué du Conseil d'État. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in a single dark ink and composed entirely of intricate guilloche lathe-work forming a dense geometric underprint across the entire field. Large numeral 50 vignettes occupy the left and right panels, with the word CENTIMES inscribed above and below in each corner panel. A central text block, heavily worn, bears French-language redemption and treasury clauses referencing the Banque Nationale and the Syndicat, framed by interlocking border ornaments. The overall layout is symmetrical, with no figurative imagery, relying solely on mechanical engraving patterns for its design. |
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| Comments |
The République Septentrionale d'Haïti was a short-lived breakaway state centered on Cap-Haïtien, existing in open political rivalry with the republic based in Port-au-Prince. By 1888 Haiti was cycling through governments at a pace that made currency issuance an urgent political act — this note was printed during the presidency of Séide Thélémaques's northern faction, before reunification forced these issues out of circulation fairly quickly.
Homer Lee Bank Note Company was a mid-tier New York security printer that handled several Caribbean and Latin American contracts during this period, operating in the shadow of larger competitors like the American Bank Note Company. Their work on this series is competent but not especially distinguished in the field.
The fractional denomination suggests the northern administration was attempting to cover small daily transactions — an optimistic sign of a functioning economy that the political situation made difficult to sustain.