1/4 Dollar Pattern

This aluminium pattern was struck in 1889 as part of a broader series of proposed coinage for Liberia, most likely produced at a U.S. facility — the country's monetary ties to American institutions made domestic striking impractical. Patterns from this period were rarely adopted; Liberia's fractional coinage needs were inconsistently met throughout the late nineteenth century, and circulating issues remained scarce relative to the colony's commercial demands.

Aluminium was being explored by several minor powers in the 1880s as a lightweight, corrosion-resistant alternative to copper for small denominations. Few such proposals advanced beyond the pattern stage.