Haiti MONEY - Why Everything in Haiti cost 5 Gourdes or 5 Gourdes increments

Question: When was the last time you received less than 5 gourdes as change in Haiti?

You can answer my question but first... listen to what the man said...

First of all, the man answered my question with a question:

"Banm poze-w yon keksyon, Ki dènye fwa ou te gen YON goud nan pòsh ou?"

"Let me ask you," he says, "When was the last time you had '1 Gourde' in your pocket? Degouden (HTG 50 cents)? 25 kòb?" he laughed...

"Huhhhhh.... Ehhhhh... Hmmmmm..."

I didn't have an answer. I don't remember the last time I had a '1 Gourde' in my pocket! And, honestly, the last time I saw a "50 Centimes" (half of a gourde) I took a picture, You probably have to go to a museum to see a "Degouden / 50 kòb" in Haiti.

"E byen, se pwoblèm nan sa wi... Machann k-ap vann ou an pa gen monnen pou-l ba ou... Li chaje-w 5 goud pou tout bagay... Abitan ki vinn vann zoranj, sitron, ak epis nan mache-a, li lote tout a 5 goud! Si li vann ou pou goud e-dmi, kote l-pral jwen monnen pou-l ba ou?"

"That IS the problem, " he says, "The the old merchant lady you are buying from does not have it either.."

"Since you don't have 'goud e-dmi' (1.50 gourdes) to give her for your purchase," he continues, and she cannot give you back '3 goud e-dmi' (3.50 gourdes) of change to return to you after your purchase, she charges you 5 gourdes for everything, for the same exact thing that is probably worth goud e-dmi.

What are you going to do about it? You cannot bargain for less?

So now, in Haiti, 5 gourdes (Yon dola haitien, Yon Adoken), is what you get back as change when you purchase out of 25, 50, or 100 gourdes.

Yep... "5 gourdes" the least common denominator in Haitian Currency these days. It's the least you can spend for bread, candy, and anything that, once upon a time, cost "10 kòb"

What is the unit of currency in Haiti? Goud? Dola?

If the GOURDE is the unit of currency in Haiti, why is it that it is no where to be found?

When was the last time you received less than 5 gourdes as change in Haiti?

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