Napoleon Hat Auction: Famous Two-Corner Hat Sells For $2.4 Million

Napoleon’s hat sold at auction for a small fortune over the weekend. The iconic two-corner hat sold for a whopping $2.4 million on Saturday. It was valued at $500,000.

The winning bidder was from South Korea. The unnamed buyer purchased Napoleon’s hat at an auction near Paris, France. He or she is now the proud owner of a felt bicorne hat once worn by the diminutive King of Italy and two-time Emperor of the French, who stood just 5’6?. Napoleon’s hat probably added a few inches to his stature.

Jean-Pierre Osenat of the Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau said the hat was part of a group of Napoleon-era items from the personal collection of the Prince of Monaco, reported NBC News. Several pairs of the emperor’s socks, strands of Napoleon’s hair, medallions, coins, keys, paintings, sculptures, and some small medals were also among the items hitting the auction block. The selling price of those items has not been disclosed, but the socks were expected to fetch more than $6,000. There were approximately 1,000 items in all.

Prince Albert of Monaco’s grandfather, Louis II, admired Napoleon and collected the objects during his lifetime. Prince Albert explained his decision to let the treasured items go to the highest bidder.

“I prefer to give a new lease [on] life to this collection of objects and relics… rather than to see them remain in the shadows.”

According to CNN, the royal family of Monaco also decided to sell the historic items, including Napoleon’s hat, at auction to raise funds for palace renovations.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Napoleon Bonaparte’s marriage certificate was offered for sale earlier this year. The document was inked on parchment paper, and it endorsed the union of Napoleon and his first wife, Josephine. It was dated March 8, 1796, and bore the signatures of the French military and political leader and his bride, Marie Josephe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie, or Josephine, the Viscomtesse de Beauharnais. The wedding took place on March 9, 1796. Fourteen years later, the marriage was annulled. Despite being known as one of history’s greatest love stories, the union of Napoleon and Josephine ended over their inability to conceive a child. His marriage to his second wife, Archduchess Marie Louise of Austria, produced a son and heir, Napoleon II.

Comments are welcome. Would you pay $2.4 million for a piece of history? What do you think the buyer will do after buying Napoleon’s hat at auction.

[Image via morgueFile]