Ian Fleming cufflinks with mystery code sell at auction

The cufflinks come with the mystery inscription: 'WUS', 'SIL', 'UDH' and 'NUF'

A pair of cufflinks belonging to James Bond author Ian Fleming and engraved with an unsolved code have sold for almost £6,000 at auction.

The cultured pearl set cufflinks come with the mystery inscriptions: WUS, SIL, UDH and NUF.

Louise Dennis, head of jewellery at Oxford auctioneers Mallams, called it a "fabulous challenge to all aspiring spies and codebreakers out there".

The cufflinks had a guide price of £800 to £1,200.

Fleming wore them at an after-party for the first Bond film Dr No in 1962. They are believed to have been a one-off commission.

They were later passed on to an Oxfordshire resident by a member of Fleming's extended family.

They were sold for £5,720, including buyer's premium, to a mystery bidder in the UK, although Mallams said there was worldwide interest in the lot.

Ian Fleming - seen here with Bond actor Sean Connery on the set of Dr No - had a lifelong interest in codebreaking

Fleming was involved in various codebreaking missions during World War Two when he served in the Naval Intelligence division.

Ms Dennis said: "He had such an interest in ciphers and codebreaking, and this carries on after the war."

She said in his first Bond novel, Casino Royale, the character Le Chiffre translates as "The Cipher", "the first of many references to codebreaking, to ciphers, that were introduced in his novels and obviously inspired the world famous film franchise".

She said the team at the auctioneers "came up with all sorts of interesting anagrams", in an attempt to crack the code, to no avail.

The cultured pearl set cufflinks were worn at an after-party for the first Bond film

"I think with Fleming's background and the fact the letters would be secret when the cufflinks were worn - you wouldn't actually see them - perhaps means only he knew what they were himself, and certainly he doesn't seem to have passed on any information about the letters to family or friends.

"So it seems to be very much a secretive message and I think that makes it an even more mysterious and fabulous story."

Fourteen James Bond books were released between 1953 and 1966, though the author himself died in 1964, aged 56.

Following on from Dr No, there have been 24 further official James Bond films, most recently No Time to Die, released this year.