A golden bullet with "007" etched in it is received by her Majesty's Secret Service. In custom clamshell case with leather spine Fleming's thirteenth and last Bond novel, followed one year later by a collection of short-stories (Octopussy and The Living Daylights). Only a very limited number of first state copies (said to be less than 1,000) were made with the famous golden gun embossed on the front cover prior to the design changes for quality reasons. A rather attractive and scarce first state of the first edition in very near fine condition, minor spotting to top edge, little bumping to tips in bright dust-jacket with minor chips to edges.
Nevertheless it remains by far the scarcest recognised discreet state of any James Bond book.Ĭloth. The reason for its apparent extreme scarcity was that being the earliest copies, they were all sent to the colonies, principally Australia and South Africa. According to publisher's records, 940 copies were thus blocked, a larger number than had previously been thought (though still a tiny proportion of the 82,000 copies of the first edition printed). The decision to cease stamping a golden gun was purely economical." - Gilbert (Ian Fleming Bibliography). the original estimate allowed for just four and a half square inches of foil-stamping. "According to the publisher's book production files.
A decision was made, very early in the process, that to block the whole print run with such a large expanse of foil, would be financially prohibitive.
All Fleming's previous novels have a decorated front board, and it was the publisher's intention to do the same with this book. A fine copy in a fine dustwrapper, with just the slightest wear to a couple of corners. First edition, first state binding with the publisher's golden gun embossed on the front panel, in pictorial dustwrapper designed by Chopping.
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