Napoleon's 200-year-old snuff box up for sale through Jersey rare collectibles dealer

  • The 200-year-old snuff box is on view at a private gallery in Jersey

Have you ever thought about purchasing an antique snuff box? Better still, one that belonged to Napoleon himself? Well you are in luck.

The 200-year-old lacquered box that was used to house finely ground tobacco is currently in Jersey and can be yours for £45,000.

The famous French Emperor is believed to have used the snuff box daily from 1815 to 1821 during his exile on the remote Atlantic island of St Helena following defeat in the Battle of Waterloo.

Although it may seem like a hefty price tag for an item which only measures 5.5cm by 3cm, one of Napoleon's signature hats recently sold for £1.2 million.

The snuff box has smooth handcrafted curved corners, a crosshatch chequerboard pattern on the top and a brass lid opener. Credit: ITV Channel

Napoleon is thought to have been a habitual snuff user and it is likely the box was with him when he died in 1821.

Mike Hall from Paul Fraser Collectibles says: "It was very personal to Napoleon, anything that is very personal to famous people in history is always exciting.

"Napoleon was really well known for being the equivalent to a chain smoker with this snuff box, he needed it all the time."

The inscription inside the box states it was given by Madame Bertrand, the wife of Napoleon's trusted aide-de-campe, to Lieutenant R.A Hayne on 5 May 1821 - the date of Napoleon's death.

Lieutenant Richard Hayne was a member of the Royal Artillery stationed in St Helena and was also described as being in "close personal attendance" of Napoleon during his exile there.

Mr Hall adds: "It sort of defined his final days really and after he'd lost his empire, he began to feel quite depressed and he did a lot snuff to combat this.

"There's very few items like this and his personal possessions were so important to him in his final days because that's all he had left."

The snuff box is believed to be an exceptional piece of Napoleonic history with a direct chain of ownership from the former French Emperor's death in 1821 to the present day.

The snuff box is from the early 19th century and measures 5.5cm by 3cm by 2cm. Credit: ITV Channel

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