Each Double Eagle sculpture is individually cast into bronze by the renowned National Heritage Collectors Society of Thousand Oaks, CA, a fine art bronze foundry, using the ancient "cire perdue," "lost-wax," process made famous by Benvenuto Cellini in the 1500's. This age-old method of casting is preferred by craftsmen, sculptors and jewelers alike, because this process guarantees that each casting captures the finest detail of the artist's original clay model. Such fine precision is evident in each of the Double Eagle statues.
First, the skilled artisans make a reverse mold of the original clay model of the Double Eagle by coating it with layers of silicon and then by creating a support jacket of plaster. This negative silicon mold will now allow an exact duplicate of the original clay mold to be reproduced by pouring hot liquid wax into this silicon mold. Then the wax duplicate is removed from the silicon mold, long wax rods or sprues are then attached to it creating what is called a tree. The wax tree is then dipped each day for a period of two weeks into a large vat of liquid silica sand. Once the new and final mold of silica sand solidifies, it is hard-fired in a furnace and all the wax runs out or is "lost" throught the gates created by the wax rods or sprues. Molten bronze is then poured at over 2,000 degrees into these now void gates of the silica sand final mold. When the molten bronze cools, the silica sand mold is removed leaving the Double Eagle as a perfect bronze casting of the original clay model ready for final cleaning and chasing of all the details of this magnificent Millennium work of art.
The final step in this process is the creation of the patina which is the coloring of the bronze sculpture. Acid is applied to the surface of the metal statue which has been heated with a torch, creating the various rich shades of brown, black and green. The beak, head, claws and tail feathers of each eagle are then hand polished to reflect the golden luster of the bronze itself.
Mounted on its marble base with a solid bronze plaque, the Double Eagle statue, the official symbol of the Millennium, is destined to be a cherished heirloom for centuries to come.
Only 2,000 of the hand crafted solid bronze statues, mounted on a marble base, will be available in the United States, and each statue has its own registration number incised into the bronze. It is accompanied by a signed and numbered Certificate of Authenticity. A personalized brass plaque, engraved with the original owner's name, is affixed to the base of the statue.
Height: 13 3/4"
Weight: 27 lbs.
"I am proud to own and display the bronze Double Eagle Statue. It is a powerful symbol of America's past and present." - Chuck Yeager
Solid Bronze Double Eagle Statue