100 Gourdes

The Banque de la République d'Haïti issued the 100 Gourdes banknote in 2023 featuring Henry Christophe (1767-1820), a pivotal military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in Haiti's independence struggle. Christophe served alongside Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines in the Haitian Revolution, later becoming President of the State of Haiti in the north before proclaiming himself King Henri I in 1811. His reign oversaw major cultural and infrastructure developments, most notably the construction of the Citadelle Laferrière.

The reverse depicts the Citadelle Laferrière (Henry Citadel) near Milot in northern Haiti, a massive military fortress built between 1805 and 1820 by Henri Christophe using forced labor. The Citadelle is the largest fortress in the Americas and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, representing one of the most extraordinary architectural achievements in the Caribbean. Built on a mountaintop at over 900 meters elevation, it was designed to defend Haiti against potential French re-invasion following independence.

The Citadelle Laferrière, together with the Sans-Souci Palace nearby, forms the National History Park of Haiti and remains a source of profound national pride. The combination of Christophe's portrait with the fortress he built creates a powerful narrative of Haitian resilience, architectural ambition, and the determination to preserve the hard-won independence of the world's first Black republic.