This weekend, two pistols once intended for Napoleon Bonaparte's suicide are set to be auctioned, with estimates reaching up to 1.5 million euros, according to the auction house's Monday announcement.
The elaborately adorned firearms, inlaid with gold and silver, showcase an engraved image of Napoleon in his full imperial regalia. It is reported that in 1814, these weapons nearly concluded the French leader's life when he was compelled to relinquish power following his army's defeat and the occupation of Paris by foreign forces.
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat recounted, "After the French campaign's defeat, he was utterly despondent and sought to end his life with these firearms, but his grand squire removed the powder." Instead, Napoleon ingested poison but survived after vomiting, subsequently gifting the pistols to his squire in gratitude for his loyalty, Osenat added. The pistols are anticipated to sell for 1.2-1.5 million euros ($1.3-1.6 million) at the auction in Fontainebleau, south of Paris on Sunday. Collectors are highly interested in memorabilia related to the emperor.
His iconic black cocked hat, adorned with blue, white, and red trimmings, fetched 1.9 million euros in November. Following his abdication, Napoleon was exiled to the island of Elba off Italy's coast. He soon grew restless and staged a dramatic return to France, only to be ultimately defeated by the British at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, passing away in exile on the island of St Helena six years later.
