Catalog
6 Centimes Western Republic
| Issuer | Haiti (1804-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1813 |
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| Currency | First gourde (1813-1870) |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the denomination '6*C' enclosed within a circular ouroboros (serpent devouring its own tail), a distinctive republican emblem. The surrounding legend reads 'REPUBLIQUE D'HAYTI' around the upper periphery and 'AN 10' at the lower periphery, denoting the tenth year of the Haitian republic. The lettering is rendered in rudimentary relief characteristic of early Haitian coinage, with dot separators punctuating the inscriptions. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Haiti's Western Republic coinage of this period reflects the fractured political geography following independence — Alexandre Pétion governed the southern and western regions as the République de l'Ouest while Henri Christophe held the north, and the two issued separate coinages simultaneously. This 6 centimes belongs to Pétion's administration, which operated with considerably thinner resources than Christophe's more militarized northern state.
The .835 silver specification was not arbitrary; it echoed French monetary standards, a deliberate signal of legitimacy to European trading partners deeply skeptical of the new republic.