Sword, pistols carried by Napoleon in 1799 coup sold at US auction for $2.8 mln

New York: The dress sword carried by Napoleon Bonaparte when he staged a coup in 1799 and five of his other firearms sold at auction for more than $2.8 million, US auctioneers announced Tuesday.

As per president of Rock Island Auction Company, the lot was sold on December 03 via phone to a buyer who has remained anonymous.

The president identified as Kevin Hogan said that the sword and five ornamented pistols had initially been valued at $1.5 million to $3.5 million. 

With the $2.87 million sale, “the buyer of the Napoleon Garniture is taking home a very rare piece of history," Hogan said. 

According to the auctioneers, the sword, with its scabbard, was the “crown jewel" of the collection.

The weapon was, reportedly, made by Nicolas-Noel Boutet, who was director of the state arms factory in Versailles. 

After being crowned emperor, Napoleon is believed to have presented the sword to General Jean-Andoche Junot, but the general’s wife later was forced to sell it to pay off debts. 

According to the Illinois-based auction house, it was then recovered by a London museum and a US collector was its last owner, however, the man died recently. 

In May, France celebrated the bicentennial of Napoleon’s death.  

The famed Corsican is one of the most divisive figures in French history, his huge contribution to the creation of the modern state set against his imperialism and war-mongering. 

Napoléon Bonaparte aka Napoleone di Buonaparte was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. 

He was the de facto leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804. 

He dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. 

Napoleon had an extensive impact on the modern world, bringing liberal reforms to the numerous territories that he conquered and controlled.

In human history, he remains one of the most well-known and controversial political figures.