Capitol Eagle Gets New ‘Gold’

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The eagle atop the Mississippi Capitol has a new golden glow.

Craftsmen recently coated the statue with a fresh layer of 23-and-¾ karat gold leaf. That’s about $10,000 worth of material manufactured in Italy especially for this project.

The work is part of an overall restoration of the 112-year-old Capitol. The eagle is made of copper and has always been covered in gold. Craftsmen from a Maryland-based company, Gilders’ Studio, needed only 3 ounces of gold to cover the statue that’s more than 8 feet tall with wingspan more than 14 feet wide.

How much is 3 ounces? Imagine the weight of a small apple.

Michael Kramer, founder and president of Gilders’ Studio, says the layers of gold are 100 times thinner than a human hair.