Saturday, February 25, 2017

Most expensive antique weapons at auction

General Ulysses S Grant's Civil War presentation sword - $1.6m.

The sword was presented to future president General Ulysses S Grant by the citizens of Kentucky in 1864, upon his promotion to "General in Chief of the Armies of the United States".

Pair of Nicolas-Noel Boutet pistols owned by Simon Bolivar - $1.8m

George Washington's pistols. The pistols are also linked to the Marquis de Lafayette and later, seventh US president Andrew Jackson. They sold for $2m at a Christie's auction in New York in 2002.

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's gold dagger. Bonhams in London sold the gold dagger which was owned by Shah Jahan (1592-1666) for £1.7m ($3.3m) in April 2008. The dagger dates to 1629-30.

18th century Chinese jade-hilted sword. A ceremonial steel-bladed sword, produced during the reign of the Qianlong emperor from 1736 to 1795, sold for $5.9m at Sotheby's Hong Kong in 2006.

The Baoteng Saber was one of 90 such swords produced during the emperor's reign, but the first to ever appear at auction.
The most expensive antique weapon to appear at auction is a gold encrusted sword used by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is thought the sword was used by Napoleon in battle at Marengo in June 1800, before he became emperor. The sword brought €4.8m ($6.5m) at an Osenat auction in Fontainebleau, France in 2007.