The monuments were ordered from a catalog, and were very inexpensive. The markers copyied the same shapes and styles as marble and granite monuments. The catalogs listed the various shapes, symbols, sculptures, and panels that could be used. The customer would decide on the overall design he wanted, and then pick out the various symbols, and other decorative elements required. The individual pieces were then molded in zinc, and then simply bolted together with screws with decorated heads. Any text required was easily molded and panels could be easily removed and replaced with new castings.

The zinc carbonate that gives the monuments their characteristic bluish gray color also creates a hard protective skin so that the castings are still extremely sharp and clear. There are two characteristics of zink that cause problems. It is quite brittle and may break if hit, and over many years it's unsupported weight will creep and sag, causing large monuments to crack.

The general rarity of these monuments is due to the fact that they were only produced for 40 years. Metal monuments were never accepted by the public, and some cemeteries regulations prohibited the metal markers. Time has shown that these inexpensive monuments are still in excellent condition with details as crisp as the day they were cast.