The Franklin Mint History Of The United States, 1776-1973
Manufacturer
The Franklin Mint
CultureAmerican
DateNo Date
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 in. (45 mm.)
Credit LineGift of Dr. Eugene F. Poutasse
Object number76.81.60
Not on view
DescriptionOne of collection of 200 silver medals.The 1835 medal: Liberty Bell Tolls Death of John Marshall
America's great symbol of liberty was born in 1751 when the Province of Pennsylvania ordered a bell from England to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Penn's Charter of Privileges. Cracking when tested after its arrival in 1752, it was twice recast by Pass and Stown, whose name and the date 1753 appear on the bell, together with the inscription "proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10)
Hung in the Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia (now Independence Hall), the bell was rung after independence was proclaimed and thereafter on important occasions. During the British occupation in 1777-1778, the 2080-pound bell was hidden in Allentown.
The bell cracked on July 8th, 1835 while tolling the death of John Marshall, Chief Justice since 1801. One of the most prominent Americans of the time, the eminent jurist had raised the prestige of the Supreme Court and made indisputable its rights to review Federal and State laws.
