Exquisite 100-year-old bronze California Mission souvenir bell. Marked: AVE MARIA SANTO NIO; 1828. Tiny metal ID tag stamped "219".  Lovely, clear, high pitched, resounding ring.

3 3/8 inches tall, 3 inches diameter; 11.5 oz. Excellent, pristine condition with a luscious green patina...not like some with discoloring from a heavy build-up of oils from being handled for 100 years.

Designed and cast by Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes of Los Angeles between 1914 and 1937, this is a replica of one of the bells hanging at Mission San Luis Rey. 

Researching this bell design, I came across an article about the 1000-bell collection of New Mexico matriarch, Lillian Yrisarri de Livingston, great-granddaughter of the first governor of New Mexico when the territory came under Mexican rule in 1822. Lillian was a member of the American Bell Association and collected bells from 1943 until her death in 1957. She attached numbered tags to her bells and kept detailed ledgers on them. According to Ledger #1, bells #1-360 were collected from 1943 to 1949. Unsure if this may be one of Lillian's bells, or from another huge collection.

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