Two pistols owned by French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, which he once intended to use for suicide, have sold at auction for $1.8 million.
The weapons, crafted by Paris gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset, were expected to fetch between €1.2m and €1.5m.
France’s culture ministry recently classified the pistols as national treasures, preventing their export on a permanent basis.
Pistols Sold Where Emperor Attempted Suicide
The sale took place on Sunday at the Osenat auction house near Fontainebleau Palace, where Napoleon attempted suicide following his abdication in 1814.
The pistols are decorated with gold and silver and feature an image of Napoleon when he was at his lowest in power.
Napoleon Survived The Suicide Attempt
Napoleon planned to use them to kill himself on the night of 12 April 1814, after his army’s defeat forced him to step down.
However, his grand squire Armand de Caulaincourt removed the powder, and Napoleon survived an attempt to poison himself instead.
Napoleon later gifted the pistols to Caulaincourt, who passed them down to his descendants.
