"Every Auction Is a Sensation"... Napoleon's Lock of Hair Sold for $13,000, How Much Will His Sword Fetch?

Commissioned in 1802 and Kept Throughout His Reign
To Be Auctioned Next Month... Expected to Fetch Up to 1.6 Billion KRW

A sword once owned by French Emperor Napoleon will be auctioned in Paris next month.

According to international media outlets such as CBS on April 26 (local time), a sword specially commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte for his personal use is scheduled to be put up for auction in Paris, France, on the 25th of next month. Napoleon ordered this sword in 1802 and kept it throughout his reign. Giquello, the auction house leading the sale, stated that it expects the winning bid for the sword to reach between $800,000 (about 1.16 billion KRW) and $1.1 million (about 1.595 billion KRW).

Napoleon at Saint Bernard Pass. Painted by Jacques Louis David

Napoleon passed this sword on to his closest confidant, Emmanuel de Grouchy, appointing him as the last Marshal of the Empire. Since 1815, the year Napoleon was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo, the sword has been held by the Grouchy family. Another sword, made as an identical replica at Napoleon's request, is currently housed at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Meanwhile, items related to Napoleon frequently appear at auctions and consistently attract high interest from collectors.

In July of last year, two pistols that Napoleon reportedly intended to use for suicide were sold in France for 1.7 million euros (about 2.8 billion KRW). His signature bicorne hat was sold for $2.1 million (about 3 billion KRW) in November 2023, drawing significant attention. This set the record for the highest auction price among Napoleon memorabilia. While Napoleon owned about 120 bicorne hats during his lifetime, only about 16 are known to remain today, most of which are in private collections.

The only known copy of his will was sold at auction in 2013 for $483,000 (about 700 million KRW), more than double its estimated price. Dated April 16, 1821, the will contains detailed accounts of Napoleon's final moments before his death at age 51, nineteen days later. In the will, Napoleon expressed his wish for his remains to be scattered in the Seine River in Paris, but in reality, his body was moved to Les Invalides in Paris nearly 20 years later. In a New Zealand auction in 2010, a lock of his hair was sold for $13,000 (about 18.85 million KRW).