Thread by @CultureExploreX

These 17 swords and daggers, with their staggering price tags, epitomize humanity's obsession with power, legacy, and the art of war. 🧵

1. Sword of Offering – $660 Million

Part of the British Crown Jewels, this sword is valued at $660 million. Encrusted with precious metals and jewels, it is crucial to the coronation of British monarchs. Designed with King George IV's input, it is both a historical and ornamental masterpiece.

2. Samurai Tachi Sword – $100 Million

An artifact from Feudal Japan dating back to the 1500s, this Tachi sword belonged to Fukushima Masanori, a famous daimyo and warrior. Its exquisite blade and handmade hilt make it exceptionally valuable and historically significant.

3. Tipu Sultan’s Bedchamber Sword – $17.3 million

This 18th-century sword belonged to Tipu Sultan and was sold at Bonhams in London in 2023.

4. Boateng Saber – $7.7 million

An 18th-century Chinese saber adorned with precious metals, sold at auction in 2008.

5. Napoleon Bonaparte’s Gold-Encrusted Sword – $6.4 million

Used in the Battle of Marengo, this sword was later auctioned by Napoleon's descendants.

6. Nasrid Period Ear-Dagger – $5.9 million

A 15th-century Spanish dagger with Arabic and Latin inscriptions, symbolizing the last Muslim dynasty in Spain.

7. Shah Jahan’s Kard Dagger – $3.3 million

A jade-hilted Mughal dagger associated with the creator of the Taj Mahal.

8. The Gem of the Orient – $2.1 million

Designed by Buster Warenski, this modern knife features diamonds and emeralds.

9. Shah Jahan’s Sardonyx Khanjar – $2 million

A 17th-century Mughal dagger with a sardonyx hilt, sold at Bonhams.

10. Sword of the Nizam of Hyderabad – $1.9 million

A bejeweled sword from the former Indian princely state.

11. Ulysses S. Grant’s Civil War Presentation Sword – $1.6 million

Given to the Union general and later president, adorned with diamonds and battle scenes.

12. Qianlong Imperial Hunting Knife – $1.2 million

An 18th-century Chinese hunting knife with a rhinoceros horn scabbard, sold at Sotheby’s.

13. Jade-Hilted Dagger – $915,000

An 18th-Century Indian or Deccan dagger with a jade hilt and precious stones.

14. Shah Jahan’s Indian Talwar – $717,800

A 17th-century sword with gold inlay, sold by Sotheby’s.

15. Admiral Nelson's French Officer's Sword – $521,800

Belonged to the famed British naval commander, sold at Sotheby’s.

16. Chief Legaic War Dagger – $482,000

A traditional dagger from a Canadian First Nations chief.

17. Kamakura Katana – $418,000

A 13th-Century samurai sword from feudal Japan, sold to a European collector.

Another famous sword whose value couldn’t be determined is the sword wielded by Charlemagne - Joyeuse - in the Louvre.

Here are a few more famous swords where value is not known:

Sword of Goujian: Discovered in a Chinese tomb, this Jian sword, preserved without rust, dates back nearly a thousand years. It was made for King Goujian of Yue and is now a state treasure in the Hubei Provincial Museum in China.

The Dōjigiri

The oldest surviving katana-style blade in Japan, created by Yasutsuna’s school around 1000-1100. Known for slaying the demon Shuten-Dōji, it is a national treasure housed in the Tokyo National Museum.

The Sword of St. Peter

Believed to have belonged to the Apostle Peter, this wide-tipped blade cut off a servant’s ear during Jesus' arrest. It is now displayed in the Archdiocesan Museum of Poznan, Poland.

Ali’s Zulfiqar

This scimitar, belonging to Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, was gifted to him by Muhammad during the Battle of Uhud. It is now a significant Islamic symbol, housed in the Topkapi Museum in Turkey.

Sword in the Stone of San Galgano

Galgano Guidotti, a knight turned hermit, thrust this sword into a stone in frustration when it wouldn't cut wood. It remains embedded near the Abbey of San Galgano, likened to the legendary Excalibur. Galgano was later canonized in 1185.