This is the sword Napoléon Bonaparte carried at the Battle of Marengo on June 14, 1800 — the counterattack that shattered Austrian control of northern Italy and secured Napoleon’s grip on France at its most politically precarious moment. It had accompanied him earlier through the Egyptian Campaign of 1798–1799.
The craftsmanship is remarkable: the grip wrapped in alternating bands of mother-of-pearl and gold wire; the pommel cast as a lion’s head in solid gold; the guard bearing a carved portrait medallion. Napoleon was exacting about his personal weapons — this blade was custom-fitted to his small hands. The wear on the grip is real. This sword was not decorative. It sold in 2007 for €4.8 million to France’s Fonds des Musées Nationaux, ensuring it remained within French national heritage.
Original owner: Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821)
Crafted: c. 1798–1800, Paris
Carried at: Marengo 1800 & Egyptian Campaign
Current owner: Fonds des Musées Nationaux, France