Général Bonaparte au citoyen Fain 1796. - Lot 42

Lot n° 42
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Estimation :
8000 - 12000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 35 100EUR
Général Bonaparte au citoyen Fain 1796. - Lot 42
Général Bonaparte au citoyen Fain 1796. Flintlock pistol case, in waxed light walnut, decorated with a shield on the engraved lid. "Le Général Bonaparte au Cen A.J.F Fain 1796", sheathed inside in burgundy velvet. Opened, it features : -A fine pair of officer's flintlock pistols. Flintlock barrels, slightly blunderbussed at the muzzles, with hair rifling, stamped with "VLr" under bonnet, "B2" with palms; topped with a sighting point and a notch. Cut-out breech tangs. Fine locks engraved "Manufre à Versailles" and flat-bodied swan-neck hammers. Pans with large spark arrestors. All fittings in cut iron and the lock in glazed polished steel. Light tiger walnut mounts. Crosses with long shafts, oval pommels engraved "Le Gle Bonaparte au Cen A.J.F. Fain 1796". Fanon sticks with horn and iron tips. Length: 30.5 cm. Cal. 12.9 mm. Hallmarks: "VLr" under bonnet: inspector's mark. "NB" under bonnet: Nicolas Boutet hallmark. "B2" with palms: inspector's hallmark 2nd division An 3-An 4, probably Daniel Bouyssavy. -And accessories: wooden mallet with handle making tamping rod, screwdriver with walnut handle, white polished steel bullet mold, tamping rod, dosette, round ebony box for notepads or bullets and its key. Cassette and accessories in good condition, old but later. Dim: 24 x 41.3 x Ht 7 cm. Agathon Jean François Fain (1778-1836). French baron, writer and politician. Began his career at the age of sixteen, as a supernumerary in the offices of the military committee of the Convention. Noticed by Paul Barras for his methodical mind, he was appointed head of the Directoire correspondence office in 1796, then chief of staff and, later, division head of the Directoire general secretariat. Under the Consulate, Fain was in charge of the Archives division, reporting to Hugues-Bernard Maret, the future Duke of Bassano, then Secretary of State and later General Keeper of the Imperial Archives. In 1806, he joined Napoleon I's private office as secretary-archivist. Attached to the Emperor's person, he accompanied him on all his campaigns, and was created Baron de l'Empire by him in 1809 and appointed Maître des requêtes at the Conseil d'État in 1811. A private secretary in 1813, he served Napoleon until his abdication at Fontainebleau on April 6, 1814. Baron Fain resumed his duties with the Emperor on the evening of his return to the Tuileries Palace on March 20, 1815. He remained with the Emperor throughout the Hundred Days, following him to the Battle of Waterloo. Assistant to the Minister Secretary of State of the Provisional Government from July 6 to 8, 1815, he retired at the time of the the Second Restoration and lived in absolute retirement until 1830, devoting himself to publishing his personal memoirs of Napoleon, which are considered "extremely reliable". In 1830, Louis-Philippe appointed him first secretary to his cabinet and confirmed him as Commander of the Legion of Honor. Elected to the Chamber of Deputies (Loiret department) in 1834 and appointed General Councillor (Loiret) in 1836. Napoleon I's discreet, hard-working First Cabinet Secretary, Fain assisted the Emperor day and night, both at the palace and on the battlefield. Napoleon is said to have once addressed him as follows: "You too will be immortal. Aren't you my secretary?
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