Napoleon’s pistols gifted after Waterloo expected to fetch £14,000 at auction

A pair of pistols that were presented by Napoleon six weeks after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo are being sold at auction.

They were made by Boutet of Versaillles (Paris) and bear the marks for 1798 to 1809. They were presented to Captain Marshall on HMS Bellerophon on August 6 1815 off the coast of Devon.

The pistols are estimated to sell for up to £14,000 when they go under the hammer at Olympia Auctions in London on December 4.

Auctioneer Thomas Del Mar said: “Napoleon’s arrival on the Bellerophon is recorded in the log for the ship dated July 15 1815.

“While in custody Napoleon and his entourage were treated like guests, with the former emperor given access to the Great Cabin of the ship.

“Napoleon wanted to travel to North America where he hoped to gain asylum.

“Upon refusal of this by the British, he hoped to be allowed to live out his life in England which was also refused.

“He was held aboard the moored Bellerophon at Plymouth and not allowed to set foot on British soil, much to his annoyance.

“Over the following weeks, the British government considered the fate of the ship’s famous prisoner.

“Eventually a decision was made to designate Napoleon and his entourage as prisoners of war with the island of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic chosen as their place of exile.”

The sale will include part of the collection of the late Charles Somers Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers, which is being sold by his descendants.

A rare Austrian pavise wooden shield from the second half of the 15th century is estimated to fetch between £25,000 and 30,000.

Mr Del Mar added: “An inventory of the town of Klausen from the end of the 15th century, which no longer exists, records a number of either 15 or 50 large shields and 18 small shields.

“The shields are decorated with three variations of the arms shown on the present shield.”