Liberia 1973 Proof Silver 5
Dollars 41mm (34.10 grams) 0.900 Silver
(0.9867 oz. ASW) Reference: KM# 29
FIVE DOLLARS THE LOVE OF LIBERTY BROUGHT US HERE
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA 1973, Coat of arms of Liberia,
date below. REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA LIBERIA, Map of
Liberia and Elephant.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided
with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime
Guarantee of Authenticity.
Liberia
officially the Republic of Liberia, is a
country on the West African coast. Liberia means
“Land of the Free” in Latin. It is bordered by
Sierra Leone to its west, Guinea to its north and
Ivory Coast to its east. It covers an area of
111,369 square kilometres (43,000 sq mi) and is home
to 4,503,000 people. English is the official
language and over 20 indigenous languages are
spoken, representing the numerous tribes who make up
more than 95% of the population.
Forests
on the coastline are composed mostly of
salt-tolerant mangrove trees, while the more
sparsely populated inland has forests opening onto a
plateau of drier grasslands. The climate is
equatorial, with significant rainfall during the
May-October rainy season and harsh harmattan winds
the remainder of the year. Liberia possesses about
forty percent of the remaining Upper Guinean
rainforest. It was an important producer of rubber
in the early 20th century.
The Republic of Liberia, beginning as a settlement of the
American Colonization Society (ACS), declared its independence on July 26,
1847. The United States did not recognize Liberia’s independence until after
the American Civil War on February 5, 1862. Between January 7, 1822 and the
American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born Black Americans
from United States and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans relocated to the settlement.
The Black American settlers carried their culture with them to Liberia. The
Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after the United States. In
January 3, 1848 Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy free-born Black American
from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was elected as Liberia’s first
president after the people proclaimed independence.
Unlike other
African countries, Liberia is the only African republic to have
self-proclaimed independence without gaining independence through revolt
from any other nation, being Africa’s first and oldest republic. Although it
is said that neither Liberia nor Ethiopia, which was a kingdom, were
controlled or colonized by foreign powers, this seems contradictory since
the country was actually started by the American Colonization Society (ACS).
Liberia maintained and kept its independence during the European colonial
era.
During World War II, Liberia supported the United States war
efforts against Germany and in turn the United States invested in
considerable infrastructure in Liberia to help its war effort, which also
aided the country in modernizing and improving its major air transportation
facilities. In addition, President William Tubman encouraged economic
changes. Internationally, Liberia was a founding member of League of
Nations, United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity.
Longstanding political tensions from the 27 year rule of William Tubman
resulted in a military coup in 1980 that overthrew the leadership soon after
his death, marking the beginning of political instability. Five years of
military rule by the People’s Redemption Council and five years of civilian
rule by the National Democratic Party of Liberia were followed by two civil
wars – the First and Second Liberian Civil Wars. These resulted in the
deaths and displacement of more than half a million people and devastated
Liberia’s economy. A peace agreement in 2003 led to democratic elections in
2005. Recovery proceeds but about 85% of the population live below the
international poverty line.
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