Speaker
Description
From their founding in 1847, the Republic of Liberia vigorously sought to ensure both their political and financial independence from the imperial nations then asserting dominion over the African continent. To this end, the Republic struck a limited series of one and two cent copper pieces, dated 1847 and 1862, respectively. These were produced by William Taylor of London, who is perhaps better known for the multitude of restrikes he produced of the coins from the Soho mint. Despite the limited series, the picture is complicated by a myriad of patterns, proofs, and restrikes produced by Taylor for his own profit, seemingly long after the official orders were filled. Careful examination of the dies, focusing on die breaks, changes, and alterations, must be combined with the scant contemporary accounts and archival resources available to reconstruct this important series in its entirety and begin to place it in proper context.
