The second abolition of slavery in the 19th century obliged the owners of the sugar plantations to pay the black workers. Now free, many of them left the plantation for more remote areas. The lack of labor quickly became a hindrance to production and the black workers, aware of their bargaining power, demanded a wage increase. The owners did not agree and brought in a majority of Indian workers, but also Chinese and Africans. However, with all these wages to pay, cash was scarce and the former slaveholders introduced the good Caidon. Of Indian origin, the Caïdon means card or paper. It was established in the plantations of the West Indies, Cuba and Puerto Rico. It was a monetary system that served as an advance on wages, distributed in the form of vouchers. It could be made of zinc or copper and sometimes even be a simple square of cardboard worth 50 cts. Moreover, these vouchers were only usable within the enclosure of the dwelling that had created it. The worker had no choice but to buy them from his employer. Also, knowing his immoral advantage, this same employer did not hesitate to sell his products at twice the market price. At the end of the week, the worker's debt was deducted directly from his pay and he sometimes received only 10% of his salary. In the same philosophy as the CFA Franc, this system kept the workers, who were constantly in debt, under control and further enriched those at the top. Moreover, faced with this unfair competition, businesses outside the plantation find themselves with a clientele with low purchasing power. They therefore kept prices low. In the 1900s, the world experienced an unprecedented sugar crisis. The planters halved the wages of their employees for a tripled workload. Strikes broke out in the face of this injustice. It was only in 1912 that the Caïdon, this colonial currency, was abolished. Caribbeanfully yours