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Meet the Liberty Bell fans visiting little-known replicas scattered across the country

The Independent·Allen G. Breed·about 1 month ago
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Want to see the Liberty Bell this semi-quincentennial but don’t have the time or cheese for a pilgrimage to Philadelphia? Have no fear: Chances are, there’s one at a state Capitol, museum or even a fire station near you. It won’t be the original, but it’ll be a dead ringer. For a savings bond drive in 1950, the Treasury Department commissioned copies of the famously broken bell, one for each U.S. state and several territories. Except for the serial numbers, they were faithful replicas — right down to the Pass and Stow trademark and a faux crack. There’s a small but growing group of “bell hunters” who’ve dedicated themselves to visiting as many of the replicas as possible. If they were a gang, Tom Campbell would be the ringleader. “It was a casual thing that turned into an obsession,” Campbell, a graphic designer, said. Let freedom ring! Although Fort Collins, Colorado , is now his home, Campbell was born and raised in Philadelphia and visited the original Liberty Bell as a boy.…

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