The first stamps of Liberia were issued in 1860. The designs on the first stamps plus those of the next 20 years all showed a female figure called “Liberia”, representing Liberty. In the series of 1892-96, you’ll find the first bi-color stamps of Liberia. Below the coats of arms pictured on four of these stamps is inscribed the motto “The love of liberty brought us here”. Not surprising for a country which was colonized by freed American slaves. (The name Liberia comes from the Latin word for “free”.) In 1901-02, the word “ordinary” was overprinted on several Official stamps of Liberia, turning them into regular postage. Many postage stamps of Liberia are surcharged.