The history of the early casts of Napoleon's death mask is reasonably well documented. The original cast was made the day following Napoleon's death by Dr Francis Burton, one of the English army doctors present at St. Helena and Dr Francesco Antommarchi, Napoleon's personal physician. The death mask was removed from St Helena and taken to France either by the wife of General Bertrand or Dr Francesco Antommarchi. The details of its departure from St Helena are unclear, but its return to France was made without the consent of Dr Burton who wanted to take it to England and make further casts there. Dr Antommarchi made a second mould from the cast in France in 1822 (second generation) and an unauthorized mould (also second generation) was also made from the original, the resulting cast from this was in a private collection in England.

From 1833 to 1835 Dr Francesco Antomarchi produced a series of casts derived from his 1822 mould (third generation) from which at least three bronze casts were made including the one displayed at Les Invalides. From 1888-1914 another series of moulds (fourth generation) were made from one of the third generation casts which were produced and sold commercially by Messrs Brucciani in England and elsewhere.