"According to the auctioneer, they were given to Napoleon’s friend and squire Armand de Caulaincourt just after the emperor attempted suicide in April 1814.
In the days before the suicide attempt, Caulaincourt said, “Napoleon had been talking about how to kill himself for days..."
The article is a bit unclear about this. Armand de Caulaincourt had removed the powder from the pistols as a precaution. Napoléon then tried to poison himself.
From a Sky News article:
Covered in intricate details, including fitting references to Greek gods, gold and silver, and even an image of Napoleon himself, the pistols remain in excellent condition, having been passed down by Caulaincourt's descendants.
The guns were created by Paris gunsmith Louis-Marin Gosset and were declared a national treasure by France's culture ministry.
The guns were created by Paris gunsmith Louis-Marin Gosset and were declared a national treasure by France's culture ministry.
