Napoleon Bonaparte once planned to kill himself with two pistols, which will be auctioned off this weekend with a potential price tag of up to 1.5 million euros, the auction house announced on Monday.
An etched depiction of Napoleon in full imperial regalia adorns the elaborately designed weapons that are inlaid with gold and silver.
They are rumored to have come dangerously close to bringing the French emperor to his demise in 1814, when his army was routed and foreign troops took control of Paris.
“After the defeat of the French campaign, he was totally depressed and wanted to commit suicide with these weapons but his grand squire removed the powder,” auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat told AFP.
Osenat continued, “Instead, Napoleon took poison, vomited, and lived. Later, he gave the pistols to his squire as a token of gratitude for his loyalty.”
The estimated price range for them at Sunday’s auction in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, is 1.2–1.5 million euros ($1.3–1.6 million).
Collectors pursue emperor memorabilia with great interest.
In November, his well-known black cocked hat with the red, white, and blue embellishments brought in 1.9 million euros.
Napoleon abdicated and went into exile on the Italian island of Elba.
His career came to an end when he was beaten by the British at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, and he died in exile on the island of St Helena six years later. He would soon become tired and make a dramatic return to France.
