“There is no way the 5 is actually a 6 with a “casting error.” That’s not how bronze casts fail, by filling in a volume in plane with the rest of the number’s surface. And this doesn’t simply pop out of the mold finished, there is an immense amount of work here after the cast itself where such an obvious thing would have been noticed. The artist finishing the work and chasing out the bronze would have had plenty of opportunity to correct it should it have been an error in the carving. It’s a 5.”

— Aaron, New York

“The Gerhardt Meier business also raises a big question mark.”

Over all, over half of readers argued it was a “6,” than a “5.” They pointed to the “5” contained elsewhere in the inscription in the date “November 25.”

The trouble is, that too proved inconclusive.

“I’ve seen dozens of ‘5’ written in that way (even in notarial deeds of the time). In addition, the ‘5’ is the same as the date written below (25 November). There is no possibility that that number is a ‘6’.”

— Alfredo, Italy

“Complete nonexpert here. But I find it odd that the 5s in “25 November” and “1597” don’t match. The Gerhardt Meier business also raises a big question mark.”

— Girard, Louisiana

“I can’t believe there is any confusion or debate.”

Along with the date, the statue carries the inscription, in Latin, ‘ME FECIT GERHARDT MEYER HOLMIAE,’ or ‘Gerhardt Meyer Made Me in Stockholm.’ For some readers that ended the discussion.

“I can’t believe there is any confusion or debate. The claim that Gerhardt Meyer, whose name is inscribed on the piece and who was a leading bronze founder active in Sweden at the end of the 17th century, was NOT the artist. Huh?”

— Matt Butters, Guelph, Canada