Enigma M4 Rare Nazi encryption machine auctioned for record sum
A fully functional "Enigma M4" from the Nazi era was auctioned off in Paris for 482,600 euros - a new record price.
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- A functional "Enigma M4" from the Nazi era was sold in Paris for 482,600 euros - the highest price ever paid for this model.
- The machine from a French private collection went to an unknown buyer, significantly beating the previous record set in 2015.
- The "Enigma" was considered a technical masterpiece until British crypto experts cracked its code.
A rare and fully functional "Enigma M4" from the Nazi era has gone under the hammer in Paris for 482,600 euros - the highest price ever paid for this model.
The encryption machine comes from a private collection and was previously owned by a French collector.
An unknown buyer secured the historic piece, which was last auctioned in New York in 2015 for significantly less.
Used by the Nazis to encrypt messages - cracked by a British man
The "Enigma" machine was developed in the 1920s for military encryption and was considered a technical masterpiece due to its billions of possible combinations.
During the Second World War, German troops used the machine to encrypt their communications - until British crypto experts led by Alan Turing deciphered the code, which was later considered a decisive contribution to the outcome of the war.
The British mathematicians' contribution remained secret for decades and only became public knowledge in the 1990s. Their story was made into a movie, including "The Imitation Game" with Benedict Cumberbatch.
A comparable model of the "Enigma M4" achieved a then record price of 365,000 US dollars in New York in 2015.
