The Napoleon Hat that Sold for Over €1.9 Million at Paris Auction

If you are versed in the French Revolution, you may have heard about the name Napoleon.  And if you have heard the name and its achievements, it will be a little of stress to spend millions on antiquities that represent and belong to this great French emperor, Napoleon.

Widely known for his great impact on the French Revolution as an emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, born between 1783 and 1806 to Charles and Letizia on August 15, 1769, rocked several felt hats in his lifetime.

This is confirmed by an official at Drouot Auction House, Jean-Pierre Osenat,  who said “The hat was part of the image he constructed, as Napoleon was a man of communication.”

Some of these hats have been auctioned for big sums of money over the years. A hat belonging to Napoleon was auctioned in 2014 at €1,884,000 at Drouot Paris. In this same Drouot Auction House, another Napoleon hat was bought for €1,932,000 on Sunday, November 19, exceeding the initial estimated sale prices of 600,000 to 800,000 euros.

“One million four hundred and fifty thousand (euros) to my left, 1.5 million, we have 1.5 million in the room, 1.5 million for Napoleon’s hat. We’re leaving it at 1.5 million for this major Napoleon symbol, I’m selling for 1.5 million (before fees), no regrets, sold,” auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat said as he brought down the hammer to applause.

Napoleon is believed to have worn this particular hat during his reign in the 19th century. He fixed the cockade to his hat in 1815 when he was returning from exile in Elba to France.

The hat was part of a collection belonging to French industrialist Jean Louis Noisiez that went on sale. It is, however, unknown the buyer who possesses Napoleon’s hat from the November auction in Paris.

Napoleon declared himself emperor of France in 1804 and created remarkable changes in the country as a military leader and ruler as he waged wars against many of the European powers of the time.