Why is the Statue of Liberty green in color?

Burnished copper gives the Statue of Liberty that green hue.

The copper sheets are no thicker than a penny, and were made in France, shipped over, then riveted to the iron frame of the statue.

Because the rusted green copper actually serves as a coating that protects the integrity of the metal below, there have never been any attempts to clean it off.

Maybe someday they’ll cover it in gold.