An incredible array of items from Sir Roger Moore’s personal collection is set to go under the gavel at Bonhams in London. Here are all the details.
On 4th October, from 1pm BST, the personal collection curated by the Bond franchise’s longest-running star will go on auction.
The late Sir Roger Moore, who lived in Monaco and died in 2017 and is buried here, appeared in a total of seven Bond films, more than any other actor who took on the main role, including Live and Let Die (1973), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985).
Memorabilia from these cult status movies, such as a Douglas Hayward double-breasted mohair dinner suit made for the actor in A View To A Kill, which is expected to go for between €23,000 and €35,000, and signed film posters and programmes from his films, are amongst the 224 lots listed by Bonhams.
“There are so many unique lots in the sale and none more eye-catching than Sir Roger’s mohair dinner suit from A View to a Kill, which was used in the unforgettable scene when James Bond chases May Day up and then down the Eiffel Tower,” Harvey Cammell, Global Director of Valuations, Trusts and Estates as well as Deputy Chairman of the UK branch of Bonhams, tells Monaco Life.
“One of the most important lots in the sale is the navy blue Chesterfield double-breasted overcoat, which [Moore] wears in the opening scene of Live and Let Die, as he emerges from JFK airport on his way to meet the film’s villain, Mr. Big. Sir Roger was known for his immaculate dress sense and style, and this beautifully tailored overcoat by Cyril Castle is a very iconic item for Bond collectors.”
Another highlight will certainly be the unique Omega Seamaster chronograph wristwatch€580 – €810, which Cammell says has ” generated much excitement with fans and watch collectors alike”.
“It is a special limited edition watch to mark 50 years of the James Bond franchise and iOS engraved with a special dedication to Sir Roger from Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers of 007,” explains Cammell.
Other items are even more personal in nature, from Moore’s Gucci address and notebook to treasured books that the London-born star enjoyed throughout his life, like Captain Courageous by Rudyard Kipling and a compilation of Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson. There are various awards and trophies that commemorate not just the Bond films, but also Moore’s contribution to TV: The Saint from 1962 to 1969 and 1971’s The Persuaders.
“Given Sir Roger’s longstanding role as Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF, the family have kindly donated the proceeds of a lot comprising his UNICEF award and related ephemera to the charity,” says Cammell. “Sir Roger devoted 27 years of his life to raising millions of pounds for UNICEF and in recognition of this, the family are also donating a percentage of the sale proceeds to the charity following the sale.”
The auction will, as fate would have it, take place on New Bond Street. It is a live auction and registrations can be made here.
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Images courtesy of Bonhams