The humble lock set that could not keep five burglars out of the Democratic National Committee’s Watergate headquarters in June 1972 is heading to the auction block.
Nate D. Sanders Auctions on Thursday is set to sell off a wooden display ― standing about a foot tall and weighing roughly 4 pounds ― featuring two doorknobs and a simple brass lock. The hardware was involved in the break-in that sparked an investigation into a plot to bug the Watergate offices and the Nixon administration’s attempts to cover it all up.
Bidding for the item is expected to start at $50,000.
The lock was removed from Stair #2 to Suite 600 at 2600 Virginia Avenue in Washington, D.C., just one day after the break-in, according to the auction house. It comes with a notarized letter from locksmith James Rednowers, who later gave the hardware to Watergate superintendent James Herrald. A notarized letter signed by Herrald, as well as his business card, are also included.
Mounting pressure from the Watergate investigation eventually led to President Richard M. Nixon’s resignation. The phrase “-gate” has become all but synonymous with scandal over the years, as it’s been tacked on the end of words from “deflate-” to “pizza-” to refer to shocking transgressions.
As a gift, the Watergate lock could could serve as a cautionary coffee table centerpiece, reminding guests that there are some failures you’ll never live down. Just in time for the holidays!