Napoleon Pistols Sold at French Auction

Facts

• On Sunday, two pistols that belonged to French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte fetched €1.69M ($1.83M) at a French auction house, which claims that the European figure tried to use the weapons to kill himself.¹
• The ornate pair of pistols sold at the Osenat auction house, located next to the Fontainebleau palace where Napoleon attempted suicide following his fall from power in 1814. Dubbed a national treasure by France's culture ministry, the weapons were prohibited from being exported.²
• Depressed after his first abdication, Napoleon was allegedly on the brink of suicide. However, his close friend Armand de Caulaincourt removed the gunpowder from the weapons. Napoleon gave Caulaincourt the pistols as a gift.³
• Adorned with intricate designs that include references to Greek gods and an engraved image of Napoleon, the guns were created by Parisian gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset. The pistols are in excellent condition and were sold with the original box and accessories.³
• Because the guns are national treasures, the French government has 30 months to buy them from the new owner, but that person has the right to refuse.⁴
• Napoleon's memorabilia remains coveted by collectors, as last year one of his famous 'bicorne' hats sold for €1.9M ($2M), and Sunday’s auction went above the estimated price of €1.2M-1.5M ($1.3M-$1.6M).⁴

Sources: ¹CNN, ²BBC News, ³Sky News and ⁴Guardian.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Unz. Napoleon has a complicated legacy that shouldn't prevent him from being celebrated. He embodied the essence of a great man who single-handedly forges history. As both a military savant and political figure, he has written several chapters of history, and he gets far too little credit for his prudence as a leader given the circumstances of his rise. Despite his missteps and large ego, Napoleon remains a hero of history who should be recognized.
• Narrative B, as provided by New York Times. Napoleon embodies everything wrong with leaders of the past who enslaved and colonized marginalized peoples for personal gain. A symbol of white supremacy, Napoleon should not be celebrated and instead should be remembered as a murderer and oppressor. More attention should be paid to the remaining legacy of European colonization and how to dismantle oppression.