A laser-cut reproduction from stainless steel plate might actually work but something tells me the cost of the stainless steel plate + finishing might be very pricey due primarily to excessive waste of material. And 1/4" to 3/8" thick stainless steel plate isn't exactly an inexpensive material compared with other metals. So maybe laser-cut aluminum plate might be the way to go.
Clearly the best approach would be to compare the costs of a laser cut repro. to that of a more traditional sand casting using aluminum to see which is less expensive and looks more like the original. And it's also worth keeping in mind a laser-cut version won't look the same as a cast aluminum version.
Of course all of the above comments assume that any reproduction will be the exact same size as the original.
