One of the most familiar images and sounds of the New York Stock Exchange on the evening news is the loud ringing of a bell, signaling the opening or closing of the day’s trading. The first bell rang at the NYSE in the 1870s with the advent of continuous trading.

When the New York Stock Exchange decided the time had come cast a new bell, they chose The Verdin Company. Verdin cast a replica bronze bell for the NYSE and built a custom ringer system. The bell signals the opening and closing of the day’s trading.

The [Verdin] bell rang for the first time to open the trading on January 3, 2017. The bell will be dedicated on May 17, 2017 to commemorate 225 year anniversary. Photos courtesy of: Michael Nagle—Bloomberg via Getty Images, and NYSE