This is a very early, complete, museum-quality German Enigma machine in excellent working condition. This model Enigma machine was the primary cipher machine for the German military from 1932 through 1945.
The serial number A1024 indicates that this machine was made by Chiffriermaschinen AG in Berlin in 1932-33. This is one of the very earliest Enigma machines to be delivered to the German military. It was issued and put into service before the outbreak of WWII and then used throughout the war. Enigma A1024 is among the earliest surviving Enigma machines known to exist.
This Enigma was used pre-war when the German military was expanding in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. This Enigma is known as a “Reichswehr Enigma” or “Enigma I” (Roman Numeral I). All future 3-rotor Enigma machines manufactured for the German military were based on this model. This machine was issued to the German military with three rotors. This Enigma includes three rotors (I, II, and III). All of the rotors carry the serial number A1024 and match the serial number of the machine. The reflector in Enigma A1024 also bares the matching serial number, A1024.
Although it is more than 90 years old, this Enigma machine is in excellent condition. It was likely stored in a dry and relatively clean environment post war. 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 German military telegraph key, and a signed copy of Dr. Perera’s book Inside Enigma.
This is a very rare early example of the 3-rotor “Enigma I” machine that survived the war in very good condition. The oak transport case appears to be original to the machine.
Characteristic of very early production Enigma I machines, Enigma A1024 has metal extra Stecker cable holders in the box top and metal thumbwheels on the rotors. In addition, there are no test sockets on the plugboard or the lamp field. Later in the war, as supplies of metal became scarce, certain Enigma parts were made with Bakelite instead of more valuable metals. Later in the1930s, test sockets were added to these machines to allow operators to test Stecker cables and light bulbs.
Repairs and Restoration: No significant restoration was required for this machine. The wooden box top had a crack running the length of the machine. A wood restoration specialist was able to retain the original top and stabilized the crack by filling in the gap with a sliver of oak with grain that matches that of the original oak. A repair was made to one of the metal braces that holds the top in the open position. All of the rotors appear to have been renumbered and refurbished using as many original parts as possible. All of the internal wiring and the wiring of the rotors and reflector have been checked and verified to work just as the machine would have worked when issued to the German military. The Zur Beachtung plaque in the box top was missing and has been replaced with an exact replica plaque. The green contrast screen is a replica as the original was missing. Any missing or nonfunctional light bulbs have been replaced with exact replica bulbs. This machine is in excellent condition and shows wear characteristic of machines that were in use throughout the war (see the photographs below).
Few Enigma machines survived the war. German soldiers had orders to destroy these secret code machines rather than let them be captured by advancing Allied forces. The Germans would disable, destroy and, when possible, throw Enigma machines into lakes or bury them as their positions were being overrun or preparing to surrender at the end of the war.
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 perfect an atomic bomb.
Enigma A1024 was first purchased by Enigma Museum in 1998 from a collector in Germany. The collector purchased the machine in the 1970s from a dealer known to trade in the Enigma machines that were used by West Germany in the decades after WWII. A few countries including Austria, Norway, Israel, and West Germany were encouraged by the British to use Enigma machines post-war. The British did not inform these countries that they could break the Enigma codes – this was at the start of the Cold War. The last of the few in-service post war Enigma machines were either destroyed or sold in the mid 1970s after the public release of information about Allied codebreaking successes during WWII. This Enigma machine was subsequently sold in 2015 and then reacquired by Enigma Museum in 2021.
This is a rare early working example of one of the most important pieces of WWII and computer history.
FOR PRICE AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Dan Perera / dan@enigmamuseum.com
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SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT PRICES: The Germans destroyed their Enigma machines rather than risk capture as they retreated from Allied forces in the final years of the war. In addition, Allied forces were ordered to destroy all German Enigma Machines at the end of WWII. Therefore, they are exceptionally hard to find. The difficulty in finding Enigma machines coupled with an increasing recognition of the historic importance of these machines has led to a steady increase in prices over the last 10 years. A 3-rotor, Enigma I machine was sold at auction by Sotheby’s in 2021 for $440,00 USD. All of the Enigmas 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 keypress can not be guaranteed.