Catalog
50 Cents
| Issuer | Treasury of Liberia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1880 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | At upper centre, a vignette in fine intaglio engraving presents a sailing ship at sea with a palm tree to the right. The denomination FIFTY CENTS appears in ornate letterpress vertically in both the left and right margins, with a bold central rectangular panel repeating the denomination. Below the panel, a manuscript date reading 'Monrovia, Aug 20, 1880' and two manuscript signatures are present. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA RECEIVABLE FOR DUTIES ON DEMAND AT THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT THE TREASURER OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA WILL PAY TO BEARER FIFTY CENTS FIFTY CENTS |
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| Comments |
The Treasury of Liberia's paper fractional currency of the 1880s existed because hard coin was chronically scarce in the republic — a persistent problem throughout the nineteenth century that made small-denomination transactions genuinely difficult. These treasury notes were not backed by a functioning central bank; Liberia had none. They circulated on the authority of the government alone, in an economy still heavily dependent on barter and foreign coin.
Survival rates are poor. The tropical West African climate is brutal on paper, and redemption records suggest most of this series was retired quickly once its condition deteriorated beyond practical use.