USA

If you dig irony, we have a patriotic bit that couldn’t ring more loudly: The Liberty Bell. Next to the Statue of Liberty and bald eagle, no symbol speaks to America’s independence and freedom from Great Britain quite like the bell, right? A bell made in, where else, but London…That’s right the bell that was allegedly rung to signal freedom from that oppressive monarch was originally made by said monarch—bellfounding firm Lester and Pack to be specific, the same firm responsible for Big Ben.

The Liberty Bell had been ordered by Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly in 1751 for hanging in what is now Philly’s Independence Hall but cracked after it’s initial ringing. Two amateur American bellfounders, John Pass and John Stow sought to remedy the situation twice by recasting the bell with beefed up copper, but, to no avail. We’re chalking up the faulty bell to some British foretelling of our break from the motherland, and an attempt to mute our message of independence. Not cool, Britain, not cool.