# 3 Q's on the Statue of Liberty

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 23, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470 "2002-05-23T12:50:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470/1 "2002-05-23T12:50:00Z")

</div>

Supposing terrorists _did_ destroy the Statue of Liberty, apropos of the speculation that they might try:

1. How much would it cost to re-build it?

1A) Are Bertoli’s original plans/blueprints in an archive somewhere?

1. How long would it take for the new copper to oxidize and turn completely green?

2. Can anyone provide a link to a picture of what it would look like with new copper (and not yet turned green)?

3. Is there a way to prevent copper from oxidizing? Perhaps coat it with plastic or something?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470/2 "2002-05-23T12:55:23Z")

</div>

Bartholdi’s

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470/3 "2002-05-23T15:44:13Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rastahomie \*  
> 2) How long would it take for the new copper to oxidize and turn completely green?
> 
> 1. Is there a way to prevent copper from oxidizing? Perhaps coat it with plastic or something?

1. I have no idea, but I think they have methods nowadays to make them oxidise faster.

2. The reason why copper is used on roofs and other exposed surfaces is that it **shall** oxidise and this is for two reasons: a) The green colour looks nice and b) The oxidise is much sturdier that the unoxidised copper.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470/4 "2002-05-23T19:58:15Z")

</div>

I’m still trying to figure out how 3 questions morphed into 5.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-qs-on-the-statue-of-liberty/110470/5 "2002-05-23T22:38:04Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Bryan Ekers \*  
> \*\*I’m still trying to figure out how 3 questions morphed into 5. \*\*

Typo.