Two pistols belonging to French Emperor Napoleon sold for a record price
Two pistols belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, who ruled France at the beginning of the 19th century, were sold at auction for 1.69 million euros.
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Two pistols belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, who ruled France at the beginning of the 19th century—one of which he attempted to use in a suicide attempt—have been sold at auction for 1.69 million euros.
According to a report by the BBC, the auction was held at the Osenat auction house, located very close to the Palace of Fontainebleau, where Napoleon attempted suicide after his failure at the Battle of Waterloo when he was captured in 1814.
The weapons, which were crafted by Parisian gunsmith Louis-Marin Gosset, had been valued between 1.2 and 1.5 million euros.
The French Ministry of Culture recently designated the pistols as a "national treasure" and banned their export. Accordingly, the French government is required to make an offer to the new owner of the pistols within 30 months to purchase them.
This also means that the pistols can only be taken abroad for short periods during this time.
The identity of the buyer at the auction was not disclosed.
Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba in 1815 and briefly returned to lead France. Defeated again in the Battle of Waterloo that same year, Napoleon died in 1821 while in exile on the island of St. Helena.