A splendid Swedish ormolu-mounted sword of honour, circa 1820-1830, is to cross the block at Christie's London on April 30.
The sword, which was presented to elected crown prince of Sweden Carl III (formerly Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte) in the early 19th century, is estimated to be worth £75,000-80,000 ($114,300-121,920).
 The magnificent sword will go under the hammer on April 30 |
The sword of honour is finely decorated: burnished stars pattern its outer face from tip to forte, while an imperial eagle clutching a gilt lightning bolt in its talons, a soldier in armour, and a lion mask are clearly evident on the sword's ornamental casement.
Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was born in France into a middle class family. His astonishing rise through the military culminated in him becoming elected Crown Prince of Sweden in 1810.
One-time friend of Napoleon Bonaparte, the pair's relationship was soured by rivalries and misunderstandings. Bernadotte joined the coalition to campaign against Napoleon and helped to bring about his first great defeat in Leipzig in 1813.
Further highlights of the sale include a 20-bore, silver mounted flintlock sporting rifle estimated at between £50,000 ($76,200) and £60,000 ($91,440), and a pair of imperial French 40-bore flintlock pistols dated 1808 and expected to bring £40,000-50,000 ($60,960-76,200).
Arms and firearms are intensely popular among collectors. A 12-bore Purdey gun given to British prime minister Harold Macmillan during the cold war made £18,000 ($27,416) earlier this month.
For more information on the historical arms market, see Paul Fraser Collectibles' guide to investing in medals and militaria.
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