Napoleon Bonaparte’s hat sells for €1.9m at Paris auction

Piece by: BBC NEWS
Lifestyle

•The hat is being sold along with other Napoleonic memorabilia assembled by an industrialist who died last year.

• He owned about 120 bicorne hats over the years.

Napoleon Bonaparte’s hat sells for €1.9m at Paris auction
Image: Reuters

A hat belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte when he ruled the French empire in the 19th Century has been sold for €1.9m ($2.1m; £1.7m) at auction in Paris.

The bicorne black beaver felt hat was valued between €600,000 and €800,000 (£525,850-£701,131).

The person who bought the hat has not made themselves known.

Historians say the hat was part of his brand. Wearing it sideways made him recognizable in battle. He owned about 120 bicorne hats over the years.

However only 20 are thought to remain - many in private collections.

The hat is being sold along with other Napoleonic memorabilia assembled by an industrialist who died last year.

But the auctioneers said for specialists, the hat is the true holy grail.

The emperor wore his hat with the corns parallel to shoulders - known as "en bataille" - whereas most of his officers wore their hats perpendicular to the shoulders.

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