Pistols with which Napoleon once intended to kill himself were sold for €1.69 million at French auction house Osenat on July 7. Made by Paris gunmaker Louis-Marin Gosset and owned by Napoleon they had been estimated at €1.2 – €1.5 million. Inlaid with gold and silver they feature an engraved image of the Emperor. They were sold at Osenat Fontainbleu, near the palace where the French Emperor tied to take his own life following his abdication in 1814. France’s culture ministry recently classified them as national treasures and banned their export. The French government now has 30 months to make a purchase offer to the new owner.