This may be a small box.
You can hold it easily in the palm of your hand.
And yet it contains something extraordinary.
The sheer electrifying power of history.
Because it was owned by the greatest military general who ever lived.
A soldier who became an Emperor and conquered Europe.
One of the most iconic figures in world history.
Napoleon Bonaparte.
And I'm offering you the chance to own it today.
A relic from Napoleon's last days.
Napoleon owned this box during the final years of his life.Following his defeat at Waterloo in 1815 he was captured and exiled to St Helena, a remote, tiny island some 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa.
These were his darkest and most humbling days.
Where once he had ruled Europe as a conquering Emperor, now he lived in a rat-infested house under constant guard from British soldiers.
In such reduced circumstances, Napoleon found solace in small things.
He tended to his garden. He wrote a romance novel. He developed friendships with locals on the island.
But his mood and his health deteriorated, and on May 5, 1821 Napoleon died in his room surrounded by his attendants.
It was a compelling final chapter in one of history's greatest lives.
And that story lives on today, brought to life by the objects he left behind.
Objects like this.
Offered with superb provenance.
As any collector of history will tell you, provenance is everything.The artefacts with the greatest value are those with a story to tell, and an unbroken link to the past.
And here, the provenance of this snuff box is remarkable.
It is offered with a direct chain of ownership from Napoleon's death in 1821 to the present day.
- Personally owned by Napoleon circa 1815 – 1821, during his exile on the island of St Helena
- Acquired by the wife of Napoleon's personal aide immediately after his death in May 1821
- Gifted to a member of the Royal artillery firing party at Napoleon's funeral
- Passed down through five generations of the same family
And with such a close personal connection to Napoleon himself.
The black lacquered snuff box dates from the early 19th Century, and measures 5.5cm x 3cm x 2cm.The lid is decorated with a chequerboard pattern line detail with gold coloured central cartouche.
Attached inside the lid is a silver engraved plaque, which bears the inscription:
“THIS BOX BELONGED TO NAPOLEON AND WAS GIVEN BY MADAME BERTRAND TO LIEUT. HAYNE R.A. AT ST HELENA 8TH MAY 1821”
This inscription is absolutely vital to the historic provenance of the box - which you will discover later.
The box is preserved in its original condition, with a beautifully worn patina that suggests it was well used.
And that's no surprise, given the predilection of its former owner.
Napoleon's passion for snuff.
Napoleon is one of history's most famous users of snuff.He was known to leave a trail of the powdered tobacco wherever he went, and even fed it to the deer at his chateau.
In the mid-19th century, carvings of Napoleon holding his snuff box were used as advertisements by tobacconists. And in 1907, a fictional play was produced in which his enemies conspired to kill him using poisoned snuff.
Napoleon's love of snuff was vividly described by Emmanuel de Las Cases, his close companion and author of the famous 1823 memoir of The Memorial of Saint Helena.
Cases was present during Napoleon's first year in exile, and noted:
"The Emperor, it is well known, was in the habit of taking snuff almost every minute: this was a sort of a mania which seized him chiefly during intervals of abstraction. His snuff-box was speedily emptied; but he still continued to thrust his fingers into it, or to raise it to his nose, particularly when he was himself speaking."
So this snuff box would have been frequently used on St Helena.But it would also have held an even greater importance to Napoleon.
Throughout his exile, having lost almost everything, he was known to take great comfort in his few remaining personal effects.
In her book The Emperor’s Last Island, historian Julia Blackburn describes how Napoleon was often found “staring at his possessions, mesmerised by the associations that were contained in each item, and looking at them as a person might look at a photograph of themselves as a child, or of friends who were long since dead.”
This snuff box was amongst those very possessions.
So it is easy to imagine Napoleon clutching this snuff box, taking frequent pinches from inside, and mourning for his former days of power and glory.
And the date engraved inside the box suggests it was in his possession right up until the end of his life.
It was quite likely present in his room when he died on May 5, 1821.
An unbroken chain of ownership.
The inscription inside the box states the box was given by Madame Bertrand to Lieutenant R.A Hayne on May 8, 1821.These two names are key to its provenance. And their close connection to Napoleon is well documented.
Madame Bertrand is Élisabeth Françoise 'Fanny' Dillon (1785 - 1836).
She was a French noblewoman and wife of General Henri Gatien Bertrand, Napoleon's trusted aide-de-campe.
Napoleon forced Dillon into an arranged marriage with Bertrand in 1808, despite her protesting that she would rather marry “the pope's monkey”.
The couple then followed Napoleon into exile twice – first at Elba in 1814, then St Helena in 1815, where they remained until Napoleon's death in May 1821.
During this period Madame Bertrand was Napoleon's close attendant and secretary, who kept a record of everyone who visited him.
She was also present in his room at Longwood when he died.
Lieut. Hayne is Lieutenant Richard Hayne (1804 - 1874), a member of the Royal Artillery.
Hayne was stationed on St Helena, and was also described as being in “close personal attendance” of Napoleon during his exile.
He is listed as a member of the firing party at Napoleon's funeral on May 6.
Hayne went on to serve in Canada in 1830, and in 1838 became the first Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Artillery in New Brunswick.
This snuff box wasn't the only piece of Napoleon memorabilia acquired by Hayne during his time on St Helena.
In 1898 the Dundee Herald reported that Hayne's daughter had auctioned a collection of her father's Napoleon items at Sotheby's.
However, this snuff box was not amongst those items.
Hayne was stationed on St Helena, and was also described as being in “close personal attendance” of Napoleon during his exile.
He is listed as a member of the firing party at Napoleon's funeral on May 6.
Hayne went on to serve in Canada in 1830, and in 1838 became the first Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Artillery in New Brunswick.
This snuff box wasn't the only piece of Napoleon memorabilia acquired by Hayne during his time on St Helena.
In 1898 the Dundee Herald reported that Hayne's daughter had auctioned a collection of her father's Napoleon items at Sotheby's.
However, this snuff box was not amongst those items.
A cherished family heirloom.
Instead it passed down through several generations of the Ditmas family.It was first owned by Lieutenant Philip Ditmas, a member of the 66th regiment 1st battalion stationed on St Helena to guard Napoleon.
Both Ditmas and Hayne served on St Helena at the same time, and would surely have known each other, given the island's small, close-knit community.
The exact circumstances by which Ditmas received the box from Hayne in the days before he returned to England are sadly unknown.
But it remained in his family by descent for two centuries, before it was eventually sold by Ditmas's great, great, great grand-niece.
That unbroken timeline brings us up to the present day.
And a booming market in which Napoleon's personal effects are treasured more highly than ever.
A powerful growing market.
Today Napoleon's name stands alone in the collecting world.I can think of no other historic figure who fascinates collectors so deeply.
And no one whose memorabilia commands such huge prices.
At the highest end of the market, Napoleon's relics inspire fierce bidding wars and sell for record sums.
In November 2023, one of his iconic bicorne hats sold at auction for $2.1 million, trebling its high estimate.
And earlier this month a pair of his gold inlaid pistols sold for $1.8 million.
However, the strength of this market goes far deeper. It is driven by the knowledge and passion of collectors at every level.
That's why the value of a single Napoleon autograph has risen by 553% over the past 20 years.
These pieces are proven investments.
So in a strong global market, with prices increasing year upon year, how do you place a value on such a unique personal item as this snuff box?
Let's examine some recent prices achieved by similar Napoleon items.
- In May 2021 his nightshirt sold for $109,000
- In November 2023 his travelling coat rack set sold for $168,000
- In April 2024 his miniature spyglass sold for $57,500
And due to the ever-growing number of private museums, funded by ultra-wealthy collectors, these pieces are quickly disappearing from the market.
Own this treasure from history today.
As collectors we are all driven by the same goals.
To own rare and valuable objects with unique histories.
Artefacts that connect us to the past, inspire our passion and excite our imaginations.
The opportunity to own an item like this comes along perhaps once or twice in a lifetime. And it is surely one to be grabbed.
Because you can hold this box in the palm of your hand...
Feel the texture and the well-worn surface beneath your fingertips...
And know that more than 200 years ago, Napoleon did the same.
This was his snuff box. And now it can be yours.
That's a thought to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
The provenance of this piece is truly outstanding.
It is without a shadow of a doubt one of the finest historic objects I've had the pleasure of handling in my 45-year career.
And it will be one of your greatest achievements as a collector.
You can purchase Napoleon's snuff box today for £45,000 ($58,180).
Simply follow this link to place your order.
To own rare and valuable objects with unique histories.
Artefacts that connect us to the past, inspire our passion and excite our imaginations.
The opportunity to own an item like this comes along perhaps once or twice in a lifetime. And it is surely one to be grabbed.
Because you can hold this box in the palm of your hand...
Feel the texture and the well-worn surface beneath your fingertips...
And know that more than 200 years ago, Napoleon did the same.
This was his snuff box. And now it can be yours.
That's a thought to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.
The provenance of this piece is truly outstanding.
It is without a shadow of a doubt one of the finest historic objects I've had the pleasure of handling in my 45-year career.
And it will be one of your greatest achievements as a collector.
You can purchase Napoleon's snuff box today for £45,000 ($58,180).
Simply follow this link to place your order.
Buy now
Your personal lifetime guarantee.
I help my clients all over the world build collections they can be proud of.
Collections that stand the test of time, and grow in value for years to come.
I can do the same for you.
And I understand the importance of feeling secure in every purchase you make. That's why this snuff box is offered with:
- Free, fully insured global delivery
- A Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity
- And a Paul Fraser Collectibles Certificate of Authenticity
It's also covered by our 28-day returns policy.
So if you decide it's not right for you, you're free to return it - no questions asked.
A final important message.
You are the first to be given the chance to own this box.
But I've already had several press inquiries about this remarkable item. In the coming days it will be well-publicised around the world.
And as you know, Napoleon's name always attracts headlines and collectors with deep pockets.
So if you wish to secure this box for your collection now, before news reaches the rest of the world, I suggest you contact me immediately.
Email me ASAP at info@paulfrasercollectibles.com
Or call me on +44 (0) 1534 639 998
I look forward to hearing from you.
Until next time,
Paul Fraser.
P.S. When news of this snuffbox breaks, I suspect competiton will be fierce. I've seen it first-hand in auction rooms. So contact me now, place your order and I'll take it off the market for you.
