French 'National Treasure' pistols once owned by Napoleon sold for £1.43m

Two pistols once owned by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte were auctioned for €1.69 million (£1.43 million) on Sunday. Experts believe Napoleon intended to use these pistols to end his life after his fall from power. France's culture ministry has designated them as national treasures due to their historical significance.

The pistols, crafted by gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset, were sold by the Osenat auction house, located just 300 meters from the Fontainebleau Palace, where Napoleon attempted suicide in 1814 following his abdication. The buyer's identity remains undisclosed, but the national treasure classification prohibits the pistols' export. This status gives the government 30 months to make a counteroffer to the new owner, who has the right to refuse. The pistols had an estimated guide price between €1.2 million (£1.1 million) and €1.5 million (£1.27 million).

They are kept in their original decorative case, complete with tools for use, including tamping rods and a powder horn.

Inlaid with gold and silver, the guns feature an engraved image of Napoleon. It is believed that on April 12, 1814, after being forced to abdicate, Napoleon planned to use the guns to end his life.

However, his grand squire, Armand de Caulaincourt, removed the gunpowder from the pistols, leading Napoleon to take poison instead. Surviving the poison, Napoleon later gifted the pistols to Caulaincourt, who passed them down to his descendants.

"With this pair of pistols, he contemplated suicide on the eve of his farewell on the grand staircase at the front of the Château de Fontainebleau," said auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat. "They symbolize the end, the image of his downfall."

Mr. Osenat stated that the auction house was not just selling a pair of exquisite pistols but the "image of Napoleon at his lowest point."Last year, a worn and cracked felt bicorne hat belonging to Napoleon sold for £1.64 million at an auction of the emperor's belongings.

This signature broad, black hat was one of the few remaining that Napoleon wore during his rule in 19th-century France and his European campaigns. Initially valued at €600,000 to €800,000 (£525,000 - £700,000), it fetched a much higher price. Unlike other officers who wore their bicorne hats with the wings facing front to back, Napoleon wore his with the ends pointing toward his shoulders. This style, known as "en bataille" or in battle, made it easier for his troops to recognize him during combat.

The hat sold last year was first recovered by Col. Pierre Baillon, a quartermaster under Napoleon. It passed through various owners before being acquired by industrialist Jean-Louis Noisiez.