A sword carried by Napoleon Bonaparte during his coup d’état in 1799 and five firearms belonging to the French emperor who died 200 years ago, have been auctioned in the United States for more than $2.8 million.

Kevin Hogan, president of the Rock Island Auction Company, which organized the auction, told AFP that this set of a sword and 5 ornate pistols was sold by the Illinois house to a person who participated in the auction by phone and kept his identity confidential.

The value of the group was estimated between 1.5 and 3.5 million dollars.

Hogan said that by purchasing these Napoleon military artifacts for $2.87 million, the buyer obtained “a very rare historical piece”.

The sword attached to the sheath, the most important piece in the collection, was made in the workshop of gunsmith Nicolas Noel Petit in Versailles near Paris and was carried by Napoleon Bonaparte during the coup d’état of November 9, 1799, according to the “Rock Island Auction Company”, which defines itself as “the world leader in Sale of firearms, knives and military equipment destined for collectors.

Napoleon, who was crowned Emperor on December 2, 1804, presented his sword to General Jean-Andoche Juno. After his death, the weapon joined a museum in London and was then in the custody of an American hobbyist to collect antiques.

Last spring, France celebrated the bicentenary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte on May 5, 1821, through a series of events and activities in honor of this central figure in French and European history.