Enigma A1317 – For Sale. Own this important piece of WWII and computer history.
This is a complete, museum-quality WWII German Enigma machine in good working condition. This model Enigma machine was the primary cipher machine for the German military from 1933 through 1945.
The serial number of this Enigma machine is A1317. This serial number indicates that this machine was a very early production Enigma I cipher machine made by Chiffriermaschinen AG at Steglitzerstrasse 2 in Berlin. This machine was likely ordered in 1931 or 32 and delivered to the German military in 1933. This Enigma machine saw service with the German military from 1933 through to the end of the war in May of 1945. Early production Enigma machines such as A1317 were used prior to the outbreak of WWII to hide the German build up of its military in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
Although this machine was used by the German military before and during WWII, it escaped any major damage and appears to have been stored in a dry environment since the end of the war. The three rotors are in very good working condition. All of the internal wiring of the Enigma as well as the wiring of the rotors and reflector have been checked and verified to work just as the machine would have upon issue to the German military in 1933. The oak transport case is of a very early design. The oak case carries an external tag that reads “A600” and may have originally been issued with a different machine. The oak case is of the correct vintage for Enigma A1317. Both the machine and the oak transport case are in excellent condition and show wear characteristic of machines that were in use during the war (see the photographs below).
Although it is more than 90 years old, this Enigma machine is an excellent, museum-quality example of a 3-rotor Army Enigma (a.k.a. “Heeres Enigma”, or “Enigma I”). To allow the buyer to use the Enigma, a battery holder that accepts standard flashlight batteries is included as are two copies of original Enigma operating manuals, an original WWII Germany military telegraph key, and a signed copy of Dr. Thomas Perera’s book Inside Enigma.
Condition: Enigma A1317 is in very fine condition. It shows no sign of rust or corrosion. It was likely stored in a dry, clean environment. The oak transport case appears to carry its original finish. An exact replica address tag replaces a missing tag inside the lid of the oak box. Any missing or nonfunctional light bulbs have been replaced with exact replica Enigma light bulbs to enable the machine to be fully functional. This Enigma includes three rotors (III, IV, and V). The rotors appear to have been refurbished to restore functionality at some point in time.
We believe Enigma A1317 saw post-war service in Europe. This machine was acquired by Enigma Museum from the family of a collector in Germany known to have acquired military surplus Enigma machines in the 1970s from West Germany.
At the end of WWII, Britain encouraged certain countries to use captured Enigma machines for their secret communications. Countries including Norway, West Germany, and Israel were among those who used Enigma machines after 1945. The British did not share that they could break the Enigma codes as this was the start of the Cold War. Any countries still using Enigma machines discarded them after it was made public in 1974 that the Allies had been reading Enigma codes since the 1930s.
Allied code breakers, including Alan Turing, developed the world’s first computers to break German secret codes. Successful Allied code-breaking efforts against the Enigma cipher machine, first by the Poles and later by the British and Americans, shortened the war by as much as two years, saving thousands of lives and denying Germany the time needed to develop an atomic bomb.
Enigma machines are extremely rare. Fewer than one percent of Enigma machines survived the end of WWII. German officers had orders to destroy them rather than let them be captured at the end of the war. The Germans had no idea that the Allies had broken the Enigma codes and felt they had to keep their secret code machines from the enemy. German soldiers would smash them with rifle butts, kick them, throw them into lakes, and even explode hand grenades inside them when their positions were preparing to surrender or to be overrun by advancing Allied forces.
Approximately 290 3-rotor Enigma I machines survived the war, and nearly all of these are held by museums and government agencies. Few of these rare machines are available to private collectors.
This Enigma machine was originally acquired in 1995 and has been on display in a museum in France for more than two decades. This machine is being offered for sale from the personal collection of Dr. Thomas Perera. This Enigma is located in the United States.
This is a very fine example of one of the most important pieces of WWII and computer history.
For price and additional information, contact Dan Perera at info@enigmamuseum.com
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SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT PRICES:
Original German Enigma machines like this one are extremely rare and hard to find because most of the Enigmas were destroyed during or at the end of the war. Since they are so rare and historic, the prices paid in several recent sales of Enigmas have been widely publicized and consequently, the values of Enigmas have increased dramatically. In 2021, a 3-rotor German Army WWII Enigma sold at open auction by Sotheby’s for $ 440,000 US Dollars with buyer’s premium. All of the Enigma machines sold on this website are complete and in working condition although, since the Germans used brass electrical contacts instead of gold, silver, or platinum, perfect operation on every key-press can not be guaranteed.