A diamond-encrusted brooch owned by Napoleon Bonaparte and captured by the Prussian army at Waterloo has been auctioned for a record €3.79 million in Geneva, Sotheby’s announced on Wednesday.
The auction house had initially valued the brooch between €130,000 and €220,000, but the final price far surpassed these estimates.
The brooch was among the personal belongings left behind by Napoleon during his retreat from the Waterloo battlefield near Brussels. He fled after the decisive battle that ended his rule.
Measuring 45 mm in diameter, the circular brooch features a central oval-shaped diamond weighing 13.04 carats. This is surrounded by nearly one hundred antique diamonds, varying in shapes and sizes, lined in two concentric circles.
Created around 1810, the unique piece was reportedly intended to adorn Napoleon’s bicorne hat on special occasions, according to Sotheby’s.
On 21 June 1815, three days after the Battle of Waterloo, it was presented, along with other items, to Prussian King Frederick William III as a war trophy.
