Can you afford your very own Rosetta Stone?
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Full-scale replicas of the Rosetta Stone are now available thanks to a Severn, Maryland resident. Although they cost about $2,000 to $30,000, he insists his intention is not commercial gain.
Just over four years ago, Joel Freeman bought a replica of the face of the Rosetta Stone from an acquaintance who got it from the British Museum. Later, he was able to get a digital image of the stone, which he said crashed a few computers because of the size. A sculptor created the sides and rear of the stone based on this image.
He has sold three of the “classic” replicas, which has an introductory price of about $14,500. They are scale replicas which weigh about 100 pounds and come with a base. One replica will be a traveling exhibit in Australia and one will go to a mold-maker in California. The third was delivered to the National Cryptologic Museum at Fort George G. Meade this week on a longterm loan and will be displayed in the near future.
He offers several other models, including a hybrid that can be used as a coffee table or wall ornament. The hybird starts at $4,550. The most expensive replica, a “lost wax” bronze replica, starts at $29,500. All of the models are manufactured on demand in Michigan by Mannetron.
Excerpted from an article by Marc Shapiro for the Maryland Gazette
Thank you for posting a few excerpts of this article. I’d love to give the reader a larger picture:
I spent over four years researching the project and have plowed a lot of time, energy and finances into the project. The result is a series of eight innovations that bear a remarkable resemblance to the original Rosetta Stone. The holographic image should be completed in the early part of 2010.
The writer of the article attended the launching of the project at the Library of Congress in DC. Experts in hieroglyphics and Egyptology and many others attended the event. Each attendee was excited with the excellence of the final product.
If anyone is interested in an overview of the technology utilized to develop the various models, along with photos of various angles of the full-size, 3D Classic Rosetta model, feel free to check out the website: http://www.RosettaCrazy.com
I welcome all comments and questions…Joel Freeman