Haiti - 20 Gourdes - P-271 - PMG Grade 66 - 2001 dated Foreign Paper Money

20 Gourdes, P-271. PMG Grade 66. Security Strip! Similar to FM1250. Front and back shown.

The Haitian gourde (HTG), introduced in 1813 during King Henri Christophe’s reign, replaced the colonial livre as Haiti’s official currency. Its name, derived from the Spanish word “gordo” meaning “fat,” reflects the thick “pesos gordos” or Spanish “pieces of eight” that circulated during the colonial era. Over time, the currency has undergone three distinct versions, primarily due to economic revaluations. The first gourde (1813–1870) was short-lived, followed by a second issue (1870–1872) consisting solely of banknotes. The third gourde, which remains in circulation today, represents the current version.

Throughout the 20th century, the gourde’s value was heavily influenced by international pegs aimed at achieving economic stability. Initially linked to the French franc at a rate of 5 francs to 1 gourde in 1881, the peg was later replaced in 1912 by a legal peg to the U.S. dollar at a fixed rate of 5 gourdes to 1 USD. This decades-long fixed exchange rate gave rise to the concept of the “Haitian dollar,” a non-physical unit of account equivalent to 5 gourdes that locals still use for pricing. However, after the peg was abandoned in 1989, the gourde became a free-floating currency, frequently facing significant depreciation and inflationary pressure against the U.S. dollar due to ongoing political and economic instability.