Napoleon's tri-corn hat up for auction

FONTAINEBLEAU, France, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Napoleon Bonaparte's iconic tri-corn hat, in addition to several other items that once belonged to the French emperor, are being put on auction by Prince Albert II of Monaco.

The sale of the 1,000 items, to be held this weekend at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, France, is expected to fund renovations to Monaco's royal family palace.

"Due to necessary rehabilitation of the Palais de Monaco, which will enhance our cultural heritage, I prefer to give a new lease of life to this collection of objects and relics, by organizing a visible and grouped auction, rather than to see them remain in the shadows," Prince Albert II said in a written statement in the auction catalogue.

The items, which include the hat, medallions, coins, keys, paintings, sculptures and even socks, were collected between 1895 and 1920 by Louis II, Prince Albert II's grandfather.

The collection is expected to fetch between $5 million and $6.2 million at auction, with the hat worth about $500,000 alone. But it's not just high-dollar items available for bid. Some pieces, like smaller medals, could go for as little as $125.

And while the sale of the former leader's socks may sound a bit odd, they're not the strangest Napoleon artifacts to ever go to auction. In 2005, a tooth went up for bid and in 2010, somebody paid $13,000 for a lock of his hair.