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50 Gourdes Heroes of Vertieres
| Issuer | Haiti (1804-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Reverse description | The Haitian coat of arms occupies the central field, depicting a royal palm tree flanked by two crossed cannons on a green hillside, with two cannons on wheeled carriages at either side and stacked cannonballs. Six Haitian flags are arranged symmetrically behind the cannons. A white ribbon banner below the arms bears the motto 'L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE'. The circular legend 'LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE' arcs around the upper periphery, while the denomination '50 GOURDES' and the date '1971' appear in the lower field, flanked by the fineness mark '900' at left and the mint mark 'IC' at right. |
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| Mintage | 1971 IC - Proof - 485 |
| Additional information |
Issued to mark the 167th anniversary of Haitian independence, this coin commemorates the Battle of Vertières — fought on November 18, 1803 — where Jean-Jacques Dessalines's forces defeated the French army under the Vicomte de Rochambeau, effectively ending Napoleon's ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. The defeat at Saint-Domingue contributed directly to his decision to sell Louisiana to the United States the following year.
The 1971 issue was produced under the Duvalier government, which aggressively exploited commemorative gold programs as a revenue mechanism, contracting output to foreign mints while the country itself had no domestic gold striking capability.