Gold plated NR RD
 

I got this in mixed up set of rusty parts. I didn’t even realize it was gold plated until I got it cleaned up.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f558ec2e1.jpeg


It has cleaned up very nicely, and the hanger bolt is in especially good shape - but I wondered if anyone knows the history of these gold plated parts?
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...23c1713df.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...de624c8cf.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8df21ac14.jpeg

Not sure about those, but when I was a sales rep in the 80's one of the shops I stopped at in Novato, California sold gold plated Campy small parts. He sent them out to a jeweler friend that did the plating. In batches it was something like a dollar or two a part, but he'd sell them for 5X his total cost.

Gold plating threaded parts actually makes functional sense. They never corrode, and the gold has a natural lubricity and galling prevention. Seat post binder bolts, brake and derailleur cable adjusting screws, chainring bolts etc. are good candidates.

Thanks for the info, so these things tended to be gold plated by third parties rather than officially by Campagnolo?

I found it interesting that the whole bolt wasn’t plated, but maybe that’s standard (just not sure why you’d plate the middle part).

I bought some gold plated parts in the 80's from the International Pro Bike Shop in the Dayton, Ohio area. These parts came from a 3rd party but I don't remember who they were. Besides the Campy bits they also did other accessories. Just the other day I came across some handlebar plugs that were gold plated by this same company that sold their products through the IPBS.

I think there was sort of cottage industry that modded up components like these, back in the 70's. I have a Patent 72 NR RD with the front pivot arm plate enhanced with black paint to make the Nouvo Record cast in name and details on it, pop out. Thought it was quite rare, but found out later that there are quite a number of them out there with the same non-factory applied feature. I guess it accompanied other aftermarket mods like drillium at that time.....
Gold plating components usually falls into the same category. Sometimes they did this too on show bikes for more marketing bling.

Possibly early work of ICS: Ital Cicli Systems of Zurich. There was a couple bits of ICS at Euro-Asia Imports when I worked there.

https://veloaficionado.com/blog/ics-...gnolo-c-record

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...28e086ef58.jpg

The Campagnolo 50th anniversary groupset had the company logo highlighted in 22 karat gold. Attach is a link of the derailer at Disraeli Gear.

Campagnolo 50th Anniversary (PAT.83) derailleur

The 50th anniversary gruppo had AFAIK the only gold plating ever done officially by campy.

Some people just like custom. Can't speak to the 70s, but I remember taking customers' parts to the local plating and anodizing shop circa about '80-81.

Also, it was common throughout the 80s for bike manufacturers to make blinged out bikes for the bike show, with lots of custom gold plating and pantographing, anodizing, etc.