I’m just the worst at estimating the value of antiques, b/c I would have paid well over a million of my imaginary inheritance to own something so iconic in history.
A bitcorne (as it’s known) hat said to have been dropped by Napoleon Bonaparte during the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 sold this week for 10 times the presale estimate, further evidence of collectors’ passion for the late French emperor’s personal belongings.
The hat sold for $406,000 in the central French city of Lyon, far above the presale estimate of $34,769 to $46,358.
“We got 30 bidders from Europe, Asia, and South America,” says Etienne de Baecque, leading auctioneer at De Baecque and Associates. “It’s a good result. All things Napoleon continue to fascinate the whole world.”
Despite being one of history’s most controversial leaders, Napoleon still has many admirers, and his wartime campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide.