French ‘national treasure’ pistols that belonged to Napoleon sell for £1.43m at auction

Two pistols that belonged to French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte have sold for €1.69m (£1.4.3m) at an auction on Sunday.

Experts say Napoleon had planned to use the pistols to end his life after his fall from power, and France 's culture ministry has classified them as national treasure in recognition of their historical significance.

The pistols were crafted by gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset and sold by the Osenat auction house on Sunday, just 300 metres from the Fontainebleau palace where Napoleon tried to kill himself in 1814 following his abdication .

The identity of the buyer at the auction was not made public, but the item has been banned for export as a result of the national treasure classification, which also allows the government 30 months to make a counter offer to the new owner, who has the right to refuse.

The pistols had been listed with a guide price between €1.2m (£1.1m) and €1.5m (£1.27m).

They are stored in their original decorative case alongside tools for their use, such as tamping rods and a powder horn.

The guns are inlaid with gold and silver, and feature an engraved image of Napoleon. It is believed that the emperor wanted to use the guns to end his life on 12 April 1814 after being forced to give up power.

But his grand squire Armand de Caulaincourt removed the gunpowder from the pistols and the emperor instead took poison. Napoleon survived the poison and later gave the pistols to Caulaincourt, who passed them on to his descendants.

"With this pair of pistols, he considered committing suicide on the eve of Napolean's farewell on the large staircase which is at the front of the Chateau de Fontainebleau," auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat said. "It represents the end, the image of the fall."

Mr Osenat said the auction house wasn't selling just a pair of magnificent pistols but the "image of Napoleon at his lowest point".

Last year a faded and cracked felt bicorne hat worn by Napoleon sold for £1.64m at an auction of the emperor’s belongings.

The signature broad, black hat was one of a handful still in existence that Napoleon wore when he ruled 19th-century France and waged war in Europe. It was initially valued at €600,000 to €800,000 (£525,000 - £700,000).

While other officers customarily wore their bicorne hats with the wings facing front to back, Napoleon wore his with the ends pointing toward his shoulders. The style – known as “en bataille” or in battle – made it easier for his troops to spot their leader in combat.

The hat that sold last year was first recovered by Col Pierre Baillon, a quartermaster under Napoleon, according to the auctioneers. The hat then passed through many hands before industrialist Jean-Louis Noisiez acquired it.