Liberia using freedom units is not at all a coincidence. Liberia was essentially a US colony where the colonialists were freed US slaves.

From Wikipedia:

> Liberia began in the early 19th century as a project of the American Colonization Society, which believed that black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity in Africa than in the United States. Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born African Americans, along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia. Gradually developing an Americo-Liberian identity, the settlers carried their culture and tradition with them while colonizing the indigenous population. Led by the Americo-Liberians, Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862.

The name Libera also comes from "liber" which means freedom.

So it makes sense they would be using freedom units and freedom ways of writing dates; it's in the name.