Napoleon’s famed ‘bicorne’ hat sells for $2.2 million
e-News® | The NEWS Company.. : Nearly two centuries after his death, Napoleon Bonaparte’s belongings are selling like hotcakes. One of the French emperor’s famous bicorne hats sold for 1.8 million euros ($2.25 million) — five times its estimated value — in an auction on Sunday. A South Korean buyer, whose name was not revealed, purchased the black felted beaver fur hat. Other Napoleon-owned items, including stockings and a scarf, were also sold by the Osenat auction house outside of Paris, according to Agence France-Presse.
The bicorne (or two-pointed) hat was Napoleon’s trademark topper. The historical hats were also a staple of French military officers’ wardrobe, according to a Michigan State University website. Napoleon crowned himself emperor of France from 1804 to 1815, after seizing power in 1799. His reign was marked by tough, militaristic leadership. He died at age 51, likely from stomach cancer.
