Gold snuffbox and Bonaparte medals among auctioned ‘Swiss in the World’ objects

The museum dedicated to Swiss exploits in the world closed last year. penthes.ch

Various objects belonging to the now-shut Foundation for the History of the Swiss in the World have been sold at auction in Geneva, gathering CHF1.5 million ($1.55 million).

The auction house Piguet said 95% of the 500 objects up for sale on Tuesday and Wednesday found buyers, who included individuals – often descendants of old Swiss families – and other museums.

The proceeds will contribute to paying off creditors of the ‘Swiss in the World’ museum, which closed last year amid financial difficulties exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. It had been operating near Geneva since 1978, hosting exhibitions focused on various undertakings of Swiss émigrés, from early mercenaries to modern diplomats, bankers, or artists.

Among the objects sold at auction was a gold and diamond snuff box which Tsar Alexander 1 had given to the general Willem du Pont; this went for CHF100,000. Four gold medals formerly owned by the Bonaparte family fetched CHF175,000. A silk robe belonging to Jacques Necker, a French minister under Louis XVI and two sabres used by officers in the Swiss Guard (during the period when it served French kings) were also under the items.

A more contemporary object was a Swiss flag which was on board the Endeavour space shuttle in 1993 during the flight of Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier – this went for CHF7,500, more than 25 times the estimated price.