Goat Skull that Sailed with Napoleon Fetches Fortune at Auction

london - A goat skull that accompanied Napoleon on board the ship Bellerophon has been auctioned for 5,000 pounds at the British auction house Hansons, making it around 8,000 euros. The unique skull belonged to the ship's goat that provided milk to Napoleon and his entourage.

A goat skull that sailed with Napoleon aboard the ship Bellerophon and provided milk to him and his followers has been sold at auction for 5,000 pounds, equivalent to roughly 8,000 euros. Described as the 'skull of the ship's goat that provided milk to Napoleon and his entourage,' the unusual item exceeded its estimated value of 2,000 to 3,000 pounds, fetching 5,000 pounds before costs.

The skull was part of a collection that had been in the possession of the Maitland family for generations. One of their ancestors, Frederick Maitland, was the captain of the HMS Bellerophon, the British warship that transported Napoleon to England in July 1815 as a prisoner of war following his defeat at Waterloo.

'I must admit that in nearly thirty years of attending various Napoleonic sales, I have never seen such an unusual and unexpected object as this,' wrote French author Pierre Branda of the Fondation Napoléon. It is not known whether the French emperor actually tasted the goat's milk. However, it is known that his mother served him goat's milk upon his return from Egypt, saying, 'My son, I have given you milk from my breast. Now I can only offer you the milk from my goat.'