France bans export of Napoleon's pistols shortly before auction
The pistols should have been auctioned off by auction houses Osenat and Rossini in Fontainebleau, Paris, on a Sunday. In the city stands the castle, in which Napoleon attempted suicide after his defeat in the French campaign. His valet, the Maquis de Caulaincourt, had, however, removed the powder from the pistols that the emperor had had made by a smith from Versailles, said auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat to the news agency AFP.
"Napoleon then took poison. He had to surrender and did not commit suicide", Osenat added. The emperor gave the pistols to his valet as a token of gratitude for Caulaincourt's loyalty. "They have been in the family's possession since then, and they have decided to part with them", Osenat said.
The pistols, adorned with gold and silver and kept in a precious wooden box, bear an engraved image of the emperor. Their value, according to Osenat, is estimated at 1.2 to 1.5 million Euro.
With the issuance of the export ban, the French state has 30 months to make an offer for the pistols. The owner has the right to reject the offer. If the state does not purchase the weapons, the export ban no longer applies, and they can be sold abroad.
Memorabilia related to Napoleon are highly sought after by collectors: His famous black two-edged sword with decorations in the French national colors fetched a record sum of 1.9 million Euro at an auction in November.
After his abdication, Napoleon went into exile on the island of Elba off the coast of Italy. He soon grew bored and returned to France in a dramatic fashion, but his career was finally over when he was defeated by the British in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Six years later, he died in exile on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic.
The pistols, originally intended for Napoleonic auction in Fontainebleau, were crafted by a smith from Versailles. Despite Napoleon's plan to use them for suicide after his defeat in France, his valet removing the powder prevented this. The pistols, now adorned with gold and silver, hold an estimated value of 1.2 to 1.5 million Euro.
The export ban on these historical artifacts gives the French Ministry of Culture 30 months to make an offer for the pistols, with the right to reject if deemed unfair. If the state fails to purchase the pistols, they'll be available for export, potentially fetching a high price in Parisian or global auctions.
Napoleon's pistols, symbols of both victory and survival, hold significant interest for collectors after his famous sword sold for 1.9 million Euro at a previous auction. The incredible allure of Napoleon-related memorabilia continues to draw interest in the bustling auction houses of Paris and beyond.
