Interesting problem. You could include raised lettering giving a date of
casting, but that might violate the terms of the trust.
Or, you could dissolve a dry pigment such as a yellow or red ochre (a
cheap and common earth color) in a little water and add it to the plaster
before making the cast. The pigment will alter the drying time, but that
shouldn't be a problem.
This will probably work alright if there are no undercuts. The safest
way would be to make a mold of the original and cast your new plaster in
that. Remember that you need a release agent (soap works well) to allow
you to separate the two pieces.
The more I write, the more I hope you have someone who is an experienced
plaster caster doing this for you....
Good luck.
Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Lab
Portland, OR
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