A pair of flintlock pistols, once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, sold for a staggering US$1.83 million at a recent auction. Held at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, France, the pistols surpassed their estimated value of $1.3 million- $1.63 million.
According to the auctioneer, the pistols were gifted to Napoleon's close friend Armand de Caulaincourt shortly after the emperor's attempted suicide in April 1814. This attempt followed a series of defeats for Napoleon against a united European force.
Napoleon's suicidal thoughts reportedly emerged in the days leading up to the attempt, with him frequently checking his pistols and removing bullets. He ultimately resorted to poison after signing the Treaty of Fontainebleau. The attempt failed, leading to his abdication and exile to Elba, CNN reported.
The pistols were presented in an ornate Burr walnut box with an ebony inlay, featuring green velvet lining and an embroidered "N" on the lid. Both the box and pistols bear Napoleon's personal cipher.
This sale comes on the heels of another Napoleon-related record at Osenat. Last November, the auction house sold one of the emperor's iconic black hats for a staggering $2.1 million.
Interestingly, the French government declared the pistols a National Treasure just a week before the auction, preventing them from leaving the country.
"These pistols represent the downfall, the end, the abdication" of Napoleon, said auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat. "He fell from a position of immense power, and with these very guns, contemplated ending his own life. They embody the image of his fall from grace."
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