Fussy British Secret Service art expert portrayed by Douglas Wilmer in Octopussy. Determined to scrutinize. the high bid on a rare jeweled Fabergé Easter egg, the price of which could be supplying currency for covert Soviet intelligence operations abroad or payoffs, Fanning and Bond (ROGER MOORE) attend a Sotheby’s auction in London.

In the gallery, 007 spots exiled Afghan Prince Kamal Khan (LOUIS JOURDAN) and his gorgeous assistant, Magda (KRISTINA WAYBORN). Fanning, meanwhile, predicts that the egg—identified in the catalogue as “The Property of a Lady“—will probably fetch between 250,000 and 300,000 pounds. Any more would be crazy, he claims.

Kamal Khan turns out to be the most interested bidder for the egg. It looks like he has it, when, to Fanning’s astonishment, 007 suddenly joins in the bidding. As the art expert sweats next to him, Bond asks to see the egg up close. Unbeknownst to anyone in the hall, Bond switches a phony egg—one stolen by the late 009—for the real article.

Bond enthusiastically continues his bidding war against Kamal Khan until bidding on the egg has reached an astronomical 500,000 pounds. He then relents, and the Afghan wins the egg. At the conclusion of the bidding, Fanning looks like he’s going to have a heart attack.