[Lee Stewart]

In a record-breaking sale back in 2016, two pistols once owned by Latin American independence hero Simón Bolívar were auctioned off at Christie's for a staggering $1.8 million. The pistols in question were a gift to Bolívar from French aristocrat and war hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in both the French and American revolutions. The two ceremonial pistols were created by royal gunsmiths at Versailles in 1825 by Napoleon Bonaparte's official gunsmith, Nicolas Noel Boutet. The pistols are inlaid with gold and silver and embossed with symbols from Greek and Roman mythology. The gift was sent as part of a request by George Washington's family and included a portrait, a medal, and a lock of hair. Bolívar was dubbed "the George Washington of South America" by Lafayette, and these pistols serve as a testament to his legacy as a young revolutionary.