What is the thickness of the Statue of Liberty's copper skin?

The Statue of Liberty’s copper skin is 3/32 inch thick.

That measurement is about 2.4 millimeters—roughly the thickness of two U.S. pennies placed together. The thin sheets were shaped using repoussé, a technique in which copper is hammered from the reverse side to create sculptural forms.

The copper is an outer skin, not the structure that holds the statue upright. Gustave Eiffel designed an internal iron framework, while flexible connections allowed the copper and frame to respond differently to wind and temperature. Insulating materials helped reduce galvanic corrosion between the dissimilar metals.

When completed in 1886, the copper looked reddish-brown. Exposure to air, moisture, and pollution gradually produced the green patina seen today. That verdigris layer helps protect the metal, so the statue’s familiar color is also part of its long-term preservation.