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500 Gourdes
| Issuer | Banque de la République d'Haïti |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980-1982 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Gourdes (500 HTG) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in deep rose-red on a pale ground, with a central oval vignette of the Haitian National Coat of Arms — a palm tree flanked by cannons, cannonballs, and flags above a ribbon bearing the national motto — set within an elaborate symmetrical guilloche border. Large numeral '500' counters appear at left and right, each accompanied by the letter 'G', while 'BANQUE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI' is inscribed at the top and 'CINQ CENTS GOURDES' in bold type at the foot. The printer's imprint 'AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY' appears at the bottom margin. |
| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE D'HAÏTI G 500 G CINQ CENTS GOURDES L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE AMERICAN BANK NOTE COMPANY (Translation: Bank of the Republic of Haiti, Five Hundred Gourdes, Unity is Strength) |
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| Comments |
The American Bank Note Company held a near-monopoly on Haitian currency printing for much of the twentieth century, a relationship that endured through political upheaval, the Duvalier dictatorship, and repeated monetary instability. By the time this 500 Gourdes note was issued, Haiti's inflation had been grinding upward for years, and a 500-Gourdes denomination — once a significant sum — was losing purchasing power faster than new notes could be distributed through the provinces.
The watermark remains the only security concession in the specification, which was already behind international standards by the early 1980s.