Silver-Gilt Safety Pin Presented to Barry Goldwater

Large Silver-Gilt Safety Pin Presented to Barry Goldwater
Reed & Barton
Dated 1958

This unusual and exceptionally large silver-gilt safety pin was custom-made by the renowned American silversmith Reed & Barton for Barry Goldwater following his 1958 Senate reelection victory. A remarkable political memento, the oversized pin was conceived as a playful celebration of Goldwater’s “pinning down” his victory and bears the inscriptions “Barry Goldwater / Spanish Cay / 1958.”

Crafted in silver-gilt, the monumental safety pin translates a utilitarian object into an extraordinary commemorative form. Its polished surfaces and imposing scale give the familiar object a distinctly ceremonial character, while the engraved inscriptions preserve the circumstances of its presentation. The combination of wit, craftsmanship and political association makes this an exceptionally rare survivor of mid-20th-century American political memorabilia.

The pin was presented to Goldwater by Clint Murchison Jr. during a visit to Spanish Cay, the private Bahamian retreat of the prominent businessman and oil heir. The object thus connects two influential figures of 20th-century American conservatism while commemorating a significant moment in Goldwater’s early political career.

Barry Goldwater was one of the most consequential American political figures of the 20th century and a central figure in the rise of modern conservatism. An Arizona native, he entered politics after working in his family’s Phoenix department store and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1952. After winning reelection in 1958, Goldwater emerged as a leading national voice for limited government, individual liberty and a strong national defense. His 1960 book, The Conscience of a Conservative, helped define the modern conservative movement, and in 1964 he became the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. Although he lost the election to Lyndon B. Johnson, Goldwater’s campaign helped to define modern politics.

Reed & Barton was one of the most important American silversmithing firms of the 19th and 20th centuries. Founded in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1824, the firm became celebrated for its finely crafted silver, producing everything from tableware and presentation objects to highly specialized commissions. This extraordinary custom-made safety pin represents a particularly fascinating example of the firm's ability to transform silver into an object of personal and commemorative significance.

18" high x 3 1/2" wide x 3/4" deep