Teething rattle used by Napoleon II to go under the hammer in the West Midlands

The Georgian rattle has an estimate of £5,500 to £7,500 in the Fellows Fine Jewellery auction taking place in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter on March 31.

An accompanying note of provenance with printed address for ‘7 Upper Belgrave Street S.W.1’ is also included with the lot.

The note reads 'Original Red Leather Case, for gold and coral rattle which belonged to the little King of Rome bought by Stuart Hodgson in Paris about 1870.'

Napoleon II was born in March 1811, the son of Emperor Napoleon I and was renowned for being Emperor of France for a mere few weeks in 1815.

He lived in Vienna and died of Tuberculosis at the young age of 21.

In the late 19th century, the teething rattle belonged to banker and art collector, James Stewart Hodgson, who purchased the item in Paris.

Now, in 2022, an unnamed seller has brought the rattle to Birmingham.

Ben Randall, senior catalogue manager from the jewellery department at Fellows Auctioneers, said: "My heart skips a beat when I am able to hold a historic piece such as this rattle touched by the Napoleons, military rulers, emperors, leaders of men.

"Who might be next to hold the rattle and be inspired to greatness?

"We have included the rattle in our March Fine Jewellery auction.

"This auction showcases the best jewellery that we have offer, which will be hosted in Birmingham.

"I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bidding war for this on March 31."