The Real Liberty Copper Coin

Here's a unique coin to mark the nation's 250th birthday. It ain't cheap: It costs $250 apiece.

- 

However, what makes this memento so unusual is that it's made of copper from the original construction of the Statue of Liberty. Some readers may be old enough to recall how this symbol of freedom-originally unveiled in 1886-was in need of serious restoration as it neared its 100th birthday.

So, in the early 1980s, the federal government asked the renowned auto executive Lee Iacocca to head a foundation to raise the necessary funds and oversee the refurbishment. Some of the old copper on the statue was removed and replaced. A history buff bought that metal (and other debris).