We know about mechanical (e.g. whip) powered tops, electric powered tops, air (blown) powered tops, etc. What about steam powered tops?
Grand Illusions sells a German "Steam-Gyro" (Der Dampf-Kreisel), which they call a top, although it's not really one as it doesn't stand up to gravity:
I was not planning to get one, but I finally added it to a small order I placed for a Pirouetto top and an optical illusion (it's only $10, but no candle or bowl included). It worked as described, with a typical but erratic rotation rate of 30 RPM, and bursts of up to 60 RPM (1 turn per second). It can go for a long time, specially if the pipe is out of the flame and doesn't get covered by soot, which is a heat insulator. It would be easy to make a homemade version. The "top" comes with a brochure where it mentions that the first know description of a steam engine was the
Aeolipile or Hero's Engine, which was a rotating ball with tangential steam jets from the 1st century AD:
But, has there ever been a true steam top? Well, at least there was a patent for one. Philip Eley of New York city obtained US Patent #114,781 on May 16th, 1871:
The patent explicitly mentions that it works as the Hero's Engine. The heat is provided by flames on the base. There is a movable arm that is used to hold the top until it reaches sufficient speed to stand up by itself. This steam top would also be relevant to the current discussion of
Tank Tops, as it's filled with water. Was it ever built? Did it work? Was it stable when filled with water? This is a very early patent and I believe at that time you had to send a working prototype of your invention, so perhaps the answer is yes . . .