# Is "The Man with the Golden Gun" by Ian Fleming a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming (Jonathan Cape, 1965) is identified by: Cape first edition, 1965 (Gilbert A15a). UK Cape (1965, published posthumously) precedes the US New American Library edition (1965); the UK Cape printing is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cape first edition, 1965 (Gilbert A15a)
- First-state point: a small early portion of the print run (in the region of 900-odd copies, per the publisher's production records, before the costly large foil block was abandoned) was issued with a gun device blocked in gilt on the front board
- This gilt-gun state is the scarce first state; the far commoner state lacks the gilt gun device
- First-issue Chopping jacket with its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian Fleming |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cape first edition, 1965 (Gilbert A15a) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Cape first edition, 1965 (Gilbert A15a). First-state point: a small early portion of the print run (in the region of 900-odd copies, per the publisher's production records, before the costly large foil block was abandoned) was issued with a gun device blocked in gilt on the front board. This gilt-gun state is the scarce first state; the far commoner state lacks the gilt gun device. First-issue Chopping jacket with its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
UK Cape (1965, published posthumously) precedes the US New American Library edition (1965); the UK Cape printing is the true first. The gilt-gun-on-board copies are the scarce premium first state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The far commoner state without the gilt gun device is still the first edition but less sought after; reprints reset and lack the original jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Man with the Golden Gun* by Ian Fleming a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-man-with-the-golden-gun
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.