Two fine flint pistols used by French Emperor Napoleon Bonaport were recently sold at auction for $1.83 million. The pistols were sold at the French auction house Oceana in Fontainebleau, just outside of Paris. This auction was held last Sunday. However, the actual value of the two pistols was between 1.3 and 1.63 million dollars. According to the auctioneer, they were given to Napoleon’s friend and squire Armand de Caulincourt shortly after the emperor attempted suicide in April 1884. After invading Russia, Napoleon had to fight several times against a coalition of European states. Despite Napoleon’s victories in several battles, Paris fell to the Allies in 1814. According to Ossenat, before the suicide attempt, Caulincourt said that Napoleon had been thinking about how to kill himself for several days. At that time, the emperor would repeatedly test the pistol, remove the bullets. Napoleon later attempted suicide by poison after signing the Treaty of Fontainebleau. However, he survived the attempt and was exiled to the island of Elba off the Italian coast. Osenat said the pistols were nationalized by the French government a week before the sale Declared as an asset, which means the pistol cannot go outside of France.
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