• Date. November 15 2022
• Location. We visited the Monrovia Post Office, located within the Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications building
• Postage: USA 350 LRD (2,19 EUR), all other world 500 LRD (3,2 EUR)
• Postcards: Available at the Philately department in Monrovia Post Office.
• Postcard delivery: Fastest- 16 days to Germany; to USA 22 days

Located in West Africa and bordering Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Atlantic Ocean, Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic. Along with Ethiopia, it’s unique in having maintained its independence continuously since its founding. Begun around 1820 as a settlement project for freed American slaves by the American Colonization Society, it became the Republic of Liberia on July 26, 1847.

A brief history of Liberian Post

Before 1847 independence, Liberia’s postal system was unreliable, completely dependent on US shipping lines and international routes. Mail, both letters and parcels, arrived erratically. With independence came the need for a national postal service; the country had previously relied on private couriers.

Despite postal conventions with Britain in 1850 and 1852 for mail between Liberia and Liverpool, Liberia did not issue postage stamps. Official mail, even international letters, was initially free when the first post offices opened in 1854.

The arrival of Liberia’s first postage stamp in 1860 marked a significant milestone. Depicting a seated Lady Liberty with a sailing vessel in the background, this simple yet iconic design initiated a journey into a more structured postal system. However, consistent, efficient coverage remained elusive for many years. The country’s geography and infrastructure limitations hampered widespread access to reliable postal services, particularly in rural areas.

Liberia’s postal history is a compelling narrative of innovation and progress. The nation’s early adoption of pictorial stamps—a first in Africa—drew significant attention from collectors worldwide, with many stamps canceled to order. While challenges persist, improvements in infrastructure and technology have since built a nationwide postal network.

Sources: Wikipedia, Philately of Liberia, Liberia Past ans present Wikipedia, History_of_Liberia

Our trip to Liberia Post Office

Liberia wasn’t originally on our itinerary. While in Freetown, Sierra Leone, we wandered into the Liberian embassy to inquire about a visa. As we hoped, we obtained a Liberian visa on the spot. The whole process took only 15 minutes! A passport, passport photo, and $70 were all that was required. Getting a flight to our neighboring country was then a simple matter.

Opposite our Monrovia hotel, a row of souvenir vendors lined the street. Art, handmade double-sided cards—everything but postcards! Fridge magnets were available, but one vendor explained that while the woodworking was easy, sourcing the magnet inserts was incredibly difficult, resulting in oddly shaped, inconsistent magnets, salvaged from old speakers. Postcards, however, were nowhere to be found. Our search became a bit of a local event; every time we stepped out, someone approached offering handcrafted cards. One vendor claimed to know a source, but at a hefty $5 per card. The National Museum of Liberia’s director mentioned plans to print postcards, but none were available yet.

It seemed our only option was the post office. Along the way, we checked a bookstore—no luck.

The stamp selection was quite nice but as we asked to have our postcards canceled, we discovered the last use of one particular stamp was in 2014. Our enthusiasm for postmarks and postcards piqued their interest, leading them to enthusiastically show us their parcel sorting and registration processes. We thanked them for their hospitality after the tour, leaving a box of Kalev chocolates—a sweet memento, much like the pleasant impression they left on us. It was time to return home.

Until our next post office adventure!

If you’d like to read future entries from this post office diary, you can subscribe here.