Yes — the French did make the Statue of Liberty, and there is a French plaque on the statue that says, in translation: “Colossal Statue of Liberty by Auguste Bartholdi, sculptor. Executed in hammered copper by Gaget, Gauthier and Co., builders in Paris.”

What was written

The inscription is on a plaque near the statue’s base, not on the tablet in Lady Liberty’s hand.

In English

A clear English rendering is:

  • “Colossal Statue of Liberty.”
  • “By Auguste Bartholdi, sculptor.”
  • “Executed in hammered copper by Gaget, Gauthier and Co., builders in Paris.”

About the famous tablet

The tablet in Liberty’s left hand is separate and shows the date of the U.S. Declaration of Independence: “JULY IV MDCCLXXVI” or July 4, 1776.

TL;DR

The French inscription is a maker’s plaque honoring Bartholdi and the Paris builders, while the tablet in her hand shows July 4, 1776.