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Rare Enigma M4 Sells for Record €482,600 at Christie's Paris Auction

The scarce four-rotor variant is coveted for its functionality, reflecting its place in wartime codebreaking.

Overview

  • Christie's confirmed the fully working machine sold in Paris for €482,600, beating pre-sale expectations and setting a record for the model.
  • The M4 is housed in a wooden case with a keyboard and four rotors, distinguishing it from more common three-rotor versions.
  • Fewer than about 100 Enigma M4 machines are believed to have survived, according to Christie's.
  • The buyer remains anonymous, and the machine came from a French private collector.
  • The price eclipses a 2015 Bonhams New York sale of an M4 at $365,000, the previous high-water mark.