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2 Cents
| Issuer | Republic of Liberia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1862 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing draped bust of Liberty occupies the central field, wearing a Phrygian-style cap adorned with a five-pointed star and flowing curled hair falling to the truncation. The portrait is executed in high relief with fine engraving detail characteristic of W.J. Taylor's London workshop. The circumferential legend REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA arcs along the upper border in raised Latin capitals. Three five-pointed stars are evenly spaced along the lower border, flanking a central star at the base, with the engraver's initials W.J.T. incorporated discreetly into the obverse lettering. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA W.J.T. * * * |
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| Additional information |
Liberia's 1862 coinage was struck in Philadelphia under contract — the young republic lacked any domestic minting infrastructure and relied entirely on American facilities throughout the nineteenth century. This 2-cent piece belongs to a series that was largely rejected by the very population it was intended to serve, as indigenous Liberians operated outside the settler-dominated monetary economy and the coins saw limited practical circulation.
The Philadelphia connection is worth noting: KM#4 was produced during the same years the U.S. Mint was consumed by Civil War pressures, making foreign contract work an administrative footnote in mint records rather than a priority.