Goldfinger
Chopping, Richard. Hard Cover. London: Jonathan Cape, 1959. First Edition. Fine / Dust Jacket Included.
First edition, first impression, first issue, first state (with the 3mm diagonal line detail in the upper left area of the skull stamped to the front board). Original publisher's black cloth stamped in blind to front board with a line drawing of a human skull with fifty-dollar gold pieces to each eye socket, lettered in gilt to spine; in its original pictorial dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping with the illustration of a human skull with gold coins in the eye sockets and a single red rose held between its teeth. Very good or better, with very slight bumps to top edges of boards and left edge of rear board, corners lightly bumped, a touch of rubbing to spine ends, a small mark to cloth at bottom edge of front board, and mild dampstaining to top of rear pastedown (faintly visible on rear board); unclipped dust jacket, with light toning to spine, light rubbing to spine ends and joints, some mild spotting to rear panel, light dampstaining to jacket verso, and a small crease to top edge of rear panel. Overall, a very pleasing example of the book in its scarce first state. Gilbert A7a (1.1). Goldfinger features the villain Auric Goldfinger, the richest man in England whose wealth is stored in his namesake mineral, gold. Indeed, the symbol of gold plays an important role throughout the text; the name "Auric" comes from the chemical element symbol for gold "Au," and Goldfinger murders his ex-girlfriend by covering her body completely in gold. In this novel, Bond must stop Goldfinger from completing Operation Grand Slam, a gold-smuggling plot that would cripple the world economy and give the Russian spy organization SMERSH total power over the West. Goldfinger also introduces one of the most memorable villainous sidekicks, Oddjob, whose deadly aim and razor-edged bowler hat make him a force to be reckoned with.
Item #IF187
Price: $2,000.00
