Christie’s Hammers Simón Bolivar’s Pistols for $1.8m

By Robert Farago

“These intricately decorated, the pistols were made by Nicolas-Noël Boutet, the gunsmith to Napoleon,” Christie’s Specialist Becky McGuire reveals. “In 1825, [Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de] Lafayette presented the pistols he had brought with him to another revolutionary: Simón Bolívar, who had dedicated his life to liberating six South American countries . . . These are treasures of a kind that we see really rarely. These men shared a real zeal and a commitment to their ideals, which changed the world forever; these pistols are an embodiment of that.” Uh, OK. Actually, that was more than OK for an unnamed collector . . .

who bought the guns at auction on April 13 for $1.5m — plus the buyer’s premium. So call it $1.8m. While that was the minimum price put on the pistols, the firearms join a rarified club. Only 25 firearms sold at auction have garnered between $1m and $4.5m. All of the guns have historical provenance, obviously. So if you want your matched pair of Cabot Guns 1911’s to be worth some serious bucks some day, have Fidel buy them for you, fight gloriously for your country, hang out with politicians …Read the Rest

Source:: Truth About Guns