New York City is auctioning items that were gifted to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as well as gifts given to several other former mayors.
"Gifts to the City is a series of online auctions of select items gifted to previous New York City mayors. This rare opportunity to own a piece of history features items from the City's Municipal Archives, including art, jewelry, sports memorabilia, and other keepsakes," New York City's Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) said in a press release.
The auction will feature a selection of 50 items from mayors Giuliani, Edward Koch, David Dinkins and Michael Bloomberg.
The auction includes eight items that were gifted to Giuliani, who was mayor from 1994 through 2001. One of the items being auctioned is a Louis Vuitton soccer ball that was used to commemorate the 1998 World Cup. The ball currently is priced at $1,225.
The other items from Giuliani include a Spalding basketball signed by members of the 1999 New York Knicks ($405), Tiffany & Co. cufflinks and a lapel pin ($255), a 1994 World Cup trophy ($169.50), Tiffany & Co. Globe Cufflinks ($290), a stamp book from the Republic of San Marino ($24.50), a New York Yankees wall clock ($152.50) and a FIFA banner ($36).
"Gifts to the City offers a unique opportunity to own a piece of history," DCAS Commissioner Dawn M. Pinnock said the release. "This is the first time the City has auctioned gifts to past mayors, and New Yorkers have a chance to purchase items they won't get anywhere else."
Some other items that are being auctioned include a Tiffany & Co. cake slicer gifted to Bloomberg, a glass paperweight gifted to Dinkins by Diana Ross and a signed Peter Max painting depicting the face of the Statue of Liberty, which was gifted to Koch.
"Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Municipal Archives Reference and Research Fund (MARRF). Established from the proceeds of a prior auction of City ephemera and Audubon prints in 1985, MARRF supports projects to preserve and provide access to historical and contemporary records in the Municipal Archives and Library," the release said.
Items gifted to mayors and other city officials are property of the city and are managed by the Department of Records and Information Services, which said that the items have no research or archival value, according to the release.
Newsweek was directed to the release after reaching out to the DCAS for comment.
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