Napoleon gave the pistols to his squire to thank him for his loyalty
Paris, France:
Two pistols that Napoleon Bonaparte intended to use to kill himself were sold in France on Sunday for 1.69 million euros ($1.8 million), the auction house said, with the government insisting they remain in the country as national treasures. .
The identity of the buyer at the auction of the finely adorned objects in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, was not disclosed, but the final sale price, including fees, was above estimates of 1.2 to 1.5 million euros.
Before the weapons were sold, the French Ministry of Culture’s national treasure commission classified the objects as national treasures and banned their export, in a decision published in the official government newspaper on Saturday.
The issuance of the export ban certificate opens a 30-month period during which the French government can make a purchase offer to the unidentified new owner, who has the right to refuse.
Whatever its value and age, a cultural asset classified as a national treasure can only leave France temporarily, with mandatory return.
“Being classified as a national treasure gives the object incredible value,” said a representative from the Osenat auction house, requesting anonymity.
The richly decorated cannons inlaid with gold and silver feature the engraved image of Napoleon in full imperial pomp.
It is said that they were almost used to end the life of the French ruler in 1814, when he was forced to relinquish power after foreign forces defeated his army and occupied Paris.
“After the defeat of the French campaign, he became totally depressed and wanted to commit suicide with these weapons, but his great squire removed the gunpowder,” auction house expert Jean-Pierre Osenat told AFP before the sale.
Instead, Napoleon took poison, but vomited and survived, and later gave the pistols to his squire to thank him for his loyalty, Osenat added.
Memorabilia of the emperor are extremely sought after by collectors.
One of his famous black “bicorn” hats with blue, white and red trimmings sold for 1.9 million euros in November.
After his abdication, Napoleon went into exile on the island of Elba, off the coast of Italy.
He would soon make a dramatic return to France, only to have his career ended definitively when he was defeated by the British at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, dying in exile on the island of Saint Helena six years later.
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