https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6410978?mibextid=Zxz2cZ
Ok, it's a steel spike that is coated in gold and silver, but it was 'driven' (gently) into that final tie at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Interesting! Looks like the Museum Of The City Of New York (How'd it wind up there anyway?) is doing a bit of deaccessioning, or as we say here at the Fortress Flintlock "They're unloading some s###!"
I wonder what else the museum's putting up for sale?
Space is limited at many museums so they may be releasing items unrelated to their main mission. The spike has little connection to the history of the City of New York.
As I noted over at RyPN... where were the offices of the Union Pacific Railroad located?
My understanding from a preliminary reading of the Christie's brochure is that this is not "the" spike, but one of a set made at the time with the 'extras' for certain directors -- the particular person's name is mentioned in the brochure. That doesn't much detract from its value as railroadiana.
ISTR that the "tie" that the original Golden Spike was driven into was made of polished laurel, with a plaque, and that it and the spike are displayed together at a museum in California...
I think it's a damn shame they don't keep it and prominently point out why the Museum of the City of New York is an appropriate place for it. As noted on RyPN, it's likely that no museum more 'missioned' to display this will be interested in 'affording' the necessary high bid, or that the winning bidder will be interested in donating it to a museum or even loaning it long-term for display.
Get your pictures now, if you can!
(The embarrassing thing is that I lived in the New York area until I was 33, and never even knew this was there!!)
I've read somwhere that "thee" spike was at Stanford University.
CSSHEGEWISCHSpace is limited at many museums so they may be releasing items unrelated to their main mission.
Sometimes they have items related to their main mission and don't have space for them either. Back in the 1980s I met the curator of the West Point Museum who told me they literally had more stuff than they knew what to do with, uniforms, firearms, military artifacts in general, and all donated by the families of the owners who'd recently passed away. "Well, we just don't want to say no and hurt their feelings."
So what they'd do is loan them out to accredited military museums around the country since they couldn't sell them.
ISTR that the laurel tie succumbed to the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake.
Multiple copies of the spike were made for the ceremony. One of them is at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. They also have the only surviving AC-12 (cab forward) locomotive in existence.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.