A Napoleon twice signed (as 'Bonaparte') prisoner release order in French and Arabic went for $25,000. The November 19, 1798, executive order from Napoleon, approved the release of Sheikh Ahmed ben Uleieh, "Le commandant de la place faire sortir le dit homme et mettre en liberte [The commander of the place to bring out the said man and release],” and confirmed as much with two bold signatures. While documents signed by Napoleon are not uncommon, this manuscript contains an executive order in his hand, signed twice, and is also notable for the presence of a substantial letter from Sheikh Mohammad al-Mahdi in Arabic, to which he is responding, complete with the stamp of the Divan at the foot of the page.
Treaty of Versailles, Svetlana Stalin, and Napoleon War Memorabilia Top RR Auction's Sale
RR Auction
Joseph Stalin signed order hand drawn by his daughter
RR Auction’s latest Military and Cold War auction saw sales of rare historical war memorabilia come close to totalling $500,000.
Taking place on June 28, 1919, the signing of the Treaty of Versailles solidified the peace between Germany and most of the Allied Powers during the first World War. A Treaty of Versailles pamphlet was handed out the same day as the treaty’s signing, and the copy at this auction personally belonged to Andre Tardieu, three-time Prime Minister of France. The pamphlet features the signatures of three of the 'Big Four' allied leaders including American President Woodrow Wilson, French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau, and British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and other members who attended the treaty’s authentication. Expected to go for $16,000, this historical pamphlet more than doubled that number, selling for $38,976.
Sold for more than $30,000 was a Joseph Stalin signed order hand drawn by his daughter. Drawn in 1934, this playful order was created by Stalin’s only daughter, Svetlana. In red and blue colored pencil Svetlana writes: “Order you to stop shooting. All 440 guns and revolvers with ammo should be moved to warehouse.” Stalin endorses this order, signing his name near the bottom in black pencil. After Stalin’s death, Svetlana would later go on to write the autobiography Twenty Letters to a Friend where she describes her life in the Kremlin with her father during his rule.
