LONDON.- Of all the items in the busy replica market for James Bond props, none is more sought after than 007’s specially adapted attaché case from the 1963 film From Russia With Love, starring Sean Connery. One of the earliest and most imaginative gadgets to emerge from the brain of Q, the innocent looking attaché case has two hidden daggers with ejection mechanism (one on each side), Magnetic Talcum Powder Container, concealed Gold Sovereigns, Rounds of Ammunition and original SD Studios folder containing mission paperwork and operating instructions.
“This attaché case is seen as the Holy Grail in Bond collecting,” says Ewbank’s Partner and Head of Entertainment Memorabilia, Alastair McCrea. “It was an official release, and the designers took all the measurements from the original film prop and created this replica.The exploding talcum powder created one of the most iconic of Bond scenes, the fight between Bond and assassin Red Grant."
Fewer than 100 of these limited edition attaché cases are thought to have been made. One of the highest prices achieved for from this series came at
Ewbank’s in 2021, with a buyer paying over £21,000 for the number 8 case.
The estimate here, for case number 25, has been set at a more conservative £5,000-8,000.
Ewbank’s is the Premier International Antiques and Fine Art Valuers and Auctioneers. Based near Guildford, it covers Surrey and South London, with registered bidders logging on from upwards of 50 countries on a regular basis to buy lots. Having celebrated 30 years in business in 2020, Ewbank’s continues to offer all the major collecting disciplines at auction, from Fine Art and Ceramics, to Silver, Coins, Clocks and Watches and Furniture and Works of Art, as well as 20th Century Art and Design, Asian Art, Militaria, Books, Toys, Garden and Architectural, Vintage Fashion, Textiles and Fine Wine, and Classic Cars, Bikes and Automobilia.
Additional specialist sales categories now include Pre-Loved, Vintage & Antique, Interiors & Modern Design, Contemporary Art, Editions & Modern British Pictures, James Bond 007, Trading Cards, Retro Video Games, Handbags and Luxury Goods. As the leading auctioneer outside London for Entertainment and Sporting Memorabilia, Ewbank’s is particularly noted for its sale of Vintage film posters. Single-owner collections in recent years have included the Football Memorabilia of former Manchester United captain Norman Whiteside; the Bray Studios sale of Gerry Anderson memorabilia, relating to classics such as Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Terrahawks; the Tony Hart Collection; and The Sir Ray Tindle Silver Collection, offered in December 2022. The company has a turnover of £4.6 million a year.
