A rare first edition copy of Goldfinger gifted by author Ian Fleming to golf legend Sir Henry Cotton could become one of the most expensive James Bond books ever sold when it goes under the hammer in Edinburgh.
The 1959 novel - which starred the Capital’s favourite milkman, Sir Sean Connery, in the film adaptation - features a friendly note from the spy’s creator to the three-time Open championship winner teasing his “interest” in a 29-page description of a tense round between Bond and titular villain Auric Goldfinger.
The pair were reportedly close friends through a shared love of the game, with Fleming basing the contest on a real-life match in which he was paired with fellow pro Peter Thomson.
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However experts believe the one-of-a-kind item could be a metaphorical bar of gold that even the fictional baddie would appreciate, with estimates placing the value between £30,000 and £40,000.
The sale would make it among the largest ever recorded for a Bond novel should it meet the price at the Lyon & Turnbull auction on Wednesday.
Fleming inscribed a message inside the hardback to Cotton detailing the scene at the Royal St. Marks Golf Course - thought to be based on Royal St. George's in Kent, which both men were members of.
Writing on an inside page, Fleming notes: “To Henry Cotton, Who may be amused by pp.92-113.”
During the round, both men employ underhand tactics to scoop a $10,000 prize, with 007 eventually coming out on top with a ball switch trick.
In the film version, Bond aficionados are introduced to Goldfinger’s right-hand man, Oddjob, for the first time as the villain’s caddy for the afternoon.
Cotton and Fleming’s friendship over the game blossomed after the former Ryder Cup captain penned an article in which he critiqued the author’s swing.
A similar copy gifted by the writer to the American noir crime author Raymond Chandler sold for £50,400 at Sotheby’s in 2012.
Avid collectors of both Bond and golfing memorabilia are expected to maintain heavy interest in the book when it goes under the hammer.
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Lyon & Turnbull's rare books specialist Cathy Marsden said: “The James Bond series created by Ian Fleming continues to capture the public’s imagination.
"Both Fleming and Cotton make reference to the other in their respective writing, Fleming in Goldfinger and Cotton in Golf Notes.
"Not only do they put their friendship into print, Fleming’s additional handwritten note adds a special value and appeal and I’m excited to see what the book fetches at auction."
