Napoleon fever confirmed as hat sells for 350,000 euros

A two-cornered military dress hat thought to have belonged to Napoleon went for 350,000 euros ($406,000) at auction on Monday, the latest sale to highlight the boundless appetite for all things associated with the emperor.
The final price far exceeded the expected 30,000 to 40,000 euros for the distinctive "bicorne" hat, which Napoleon wore sideways - rather than with points at the front and back - so he could easily be spotted on the battlefield.
The identify of the buyer was not disclosed. "There's a sort of craze going on with historical souvenirs, in particular those from Napoleon," Etienne De Baecque, the auctioneer leading the sale in the eastern city of Lyon, told AFP.