Catalog
25 Cents
| Issuer | Treasury of Liberia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1880 |
| Type | Pattern or trial banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is laid out in a horizontal format with the central vignette of a three-masted sailing ship at sea, enclosed within an oval frame, set against a lightly engraved landscape. The legend REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA arcs above the vignette, with the inscriptions RECEIVABLE and FOR DUTIES flanking it at the top. Vertical panel lettering reading TWENTY FIVE CENTS appears on both left and right margins, while the promise text reads 'On Demand at the Treasury Department, the Treasurer of the REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA will pay to Bearer Twenty five Cents,' dated Monrovia, Aug 26th 1880, with printed signature lines for the Treasurer and Secretary of the Treasury below. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA RECEIVABLE FOR DUTIES TWENTY FIVE CENTS On Demand at the Treasury Department, the Treasurer of the REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA will pay to Bearer Twenty five Cents TWENTY FIVE CENTS Monrovia Aug 26th 1880 Treasurer Secretary of the Treasury |
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| Comments |
Liberia's Treasury notes of this period occupy a peculiar niche: issued by a republic founded in 1847 by freed American slaves and their descendants, the monetary infrastructure remained fragile throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century. The 1880 emission came during a period of chronic fiscal stress, when customs revenues from Monrovia were effectively the government's only reliable income stream.
Pick 10A is among the scarcer small-denomination fractions from this issuer. Fractional Treasury notes rarely survived in quantity anywhere — they circulated hard, were frequently mutilated, and held little incentive for preservation.