First edition of Casino Royale sells for £20,000 at auction

On Thursday 6th December, Bloomsbury Auctions held an auction that included a near complete set of first edition Bond titles; most were signed, many had inscriptions, some had signed bookplates while others were simply unsigned first editions. Prices ranged from £300-22,000.

The amounts in bold below are the final selling prices.

Amongst the 33 lots the highlights include a first edition, first issue of the first Bond book, Casino Royale, 1953 (lot 42) with the inscription: To / the power behind / the publishers’ throne! / from / the author / May 1953 (estimated to fetch £18,000-22,000).
SOLD: £20,000

Lot 43 will also set pulses racing, Live and Let Die, 1954 was Fleming’s second Bond book and is inscribed: ‘To / Donald Crowther / Who Helped with the Coin! / from / The Author / 1954’ (estimate £8,000-12,000). Presumably ‘the coin’ referred to, is one of those sold illegally by ‘Mr Big’ in the story.
SOLD: £9,500

Other interesting inscriptions include the one in Thunderball,1961 (lot 50) which reads: To / Jack / By Appointment, / M.O. to the SIS! / Ian (SIS being the Secret Intelligence Service) and it carries an estimate of £3,500-4,500.
SOLD: £7000

The next lot, Moonraker of 1955 is estimated £5,000-7,000 and is inscribed: ‘To / E.B. Strauss / This ‘Tagebuch eines halbwüchsigen Spiones!’ / Ian Fleming / 1955.
SOLD: £8500

Further details can be found on the Bloomsbury Austions website.

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