The Liberty Bell - Augusta, ME
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member T0SHEA
N 44° 18.465 W 069° 46.923
19T E 437624 N 4906352
This is Maine's Liberty Bell, one of 55 cast in France in 1950 and given to the United States government by several corporations.
Waymark Code: WMWH5A
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 09/05/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member Outspoken1
Views: 2

The 55 bronze bells were cast in the Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry in Sévrier, France. The bells were to be placed on the grounds of the capitol of each state and possession of the United States.

The Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry is headquartered in Charleston, SC. Each 2,080 pound bell is an exact copy of the original Liberty Bell, with the same tone and the same dimensions.

Strangely, though it is generally believed that there were fifty five bells cast, the plaque on the Augusta bell reads "fifty three". See the plaque below.

The full inscription on the Liberty Bell reads as follows:

PROCLAIM LIBERTY THROUGHOUT THE LAND
UNTO ALL THE INHABITANTS THEREOF. LEV. XXV X
BY ORDER OF THE ASSEMBLY
OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA
FOR THE STATE HOUSE IN PHILADA [Philadelphia]
PASS AND STOW PHILADA [Philadelphia]
MDCCLIII
History of Liberty Bell Replicas
In 1950, the foundry was selected by the U.S. Treasury Department to cast fifty-five full size Liberty Bell replicas, one for each state plus U.S. territories, to place located on the capital grounds of each state.

Foundry craftsmen measured each feature and dimension of the original Liberty Bell to create fifty-five authentic replicas for the U.S. Treasury Department.

Liberty Bell Replica Construction
The bell is 44 1/2? in diameter, 42 3/16? high, (with yoke and stand), and weighs 2,080 pounds; it is delivered with a replica clapper, wooden yoke and inscriptions precisely replicated from the original Liberty Bell. The bell is polished and may be allowed to patina naturally or with a polyurethane coating applied to keep the bell shiny as you may desire.

Cast only of bronze, Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry bells are composed of pure red copper and block tin. While the ratio of copper to tin is different depending on the size of the bell, most bells are approximately 78% copper and 22% tin.
From the Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry
Where is original located?: Liberty Bell Center, Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia

Where is this replica located?: On the grounds of the Maine State Capitol Building

Who created the original?: Lester & Pack (Whitechapel Bell Foundry), later John Pass and John Stow

Internet Link about Original: https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/stories-libertybell.htm

Year Original was Created (approx. ok): 1751 & 1753

Visit Instructions:
Post at least one photo of the replica.
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