The TOPPER! was placed on the very top of the
George Washington Monument on Saturday 6 December
1884.
The monument that was begun 4 July 1848 was
complete
meeting Col. Thomas Lincoln Casey's deadline.
The TOPPER! is 8.9 inches tall and 5.6 inches
square
at its base weighing 100 ounces made of
aluminum which was
a new metal at the time
costing $1.00 an ounce.In 1884 the
labor wage
was $1.00 per 10-hour day.
The TOPPER! was manufactured by
William Frishmuth
of Philadelphia who was
the only U.S. aluminum producer at
the time.
He overcame many experiments and
disappointments
before he created the
perfect tip. And the cost was $256.10
which was much much more than the
original bid of $75.00.
After an audit the
agreed price was $225.00.
The TOPPER! was exhibited at Tiffany's
in New York City.
It was placed on the floor
where people could step over it and
thus say
I have stepped over the top of the George Washington
Monument which is the tallest building in D.C..
Up there
555 feet high are two words in Latin just four
syllables only seven
letters on the East side facing skyward
overlooking the square miles
of the District of Columbia our
capital city of the United States of America are
Laus Deo.
meaning Praise to GOD!
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1/18 scale solid brass finished in aluminum color
The
TOPPER! - Price: $25 + $3 S&H
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