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Enigma Machine for Sale on eBay

Posted by samzenpus on from the break-your-own-codes dept.

RagingMaxx writes "An Italian antiques dealer has recently put to auction a mint condition, fully operational Enigma machine on eBay. The machine, dated circa 1938, will be sold to the highest bidder in just over a week, but after 30 hours of bidding the price has already surpassed $12,000 US. For those of you who can't afford the real thing, why not make your own?"

22 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. Potential buyer by EveryNickIsTaken · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hear that the MPAA is interested in purchasing the machine - as they've heard that it has unbreakable encryption.

  2. Darn by CastrTroy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Looks like it's only the 3 gear model. If it was the four gear model, I surely would have purchased it :P.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    1. Re:Darn by CastrTroy · · Score: 4, Funny

      You mean Cryptonomicon wasn't real?

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:Darn by gijoel · · Score: 2, Funny

      A rare Abwehr Enigma machine, designated G312, was stolen from the Bletchley Park museum on 1 April 2000. In September, a man identifying himself as "The Master" sent a note demanding £25,000 and threatened to destroy the machine if the ransom was not paid.


      The Master, eh? What's Mr. Saxon going to do about this, I'd like to know.
    3. Re:Darn by pegr · · Score: 3, Funny

      How many four gear models survived the war? They were installed in u-boats, which weren't noted for a long life expectancy.
       
      QKGYE SYEBD ARELM YEKHD? QTDPO STWEK YEGDT MWKOI FDYUW ARRTK HQPTY NVDQK!

  3. Enigma, finally by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 1, Funny

    I hope I can scrounge up enough pgems for it. Do you know how rare Jah and Ber runes are? My kingdom for a 15% archon plate...

  4. Instructions? by JonathanR · · Score: 3, Funny

    It comes complete with instructions (cypher-text of course) on how to win the War on Terror. Ask DVD Jon for the key.

    1. Re:Instructions? by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 2, Funny

      I did. He told me it was 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0.

      --
      My blog
  5. Fantastic by hcdejong · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now nobody will be able to understand what I'm saying.

    1. Re:Fantastic by gkhan1 · · Score: 3, Funny

      So, nothing new?

  6. That explains it by Hair-Dog13 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well, the low price must be due to the fact that you really have to have a set of two to use them......

    1. Re:That explains it by CastrTroy · · Score: 3, Funny

      Someone set us up the bombe.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:That explains it by g0dsp33d · · Score: 3, Funny

      Like the Vista install that came with my laptop?

      --
      lol: You see no door there!
    3. Re:That explains it by Garabito · · Score: 4, Funny

          *   -----> The joke

         o
        -|-   -----> You
        / \

  7. The future by mickq · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can see these being attached to every Blu-ray2 and HD-DVD2 player.....

    1. Re:The future by gkhan1 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Yeah, that's the reason we shouldn't have driven Alan Turing to suicide.

  8. The secret message is: by Alien+Being · · Score: 5, Funny

    d-r-i-n-k y-o-u-r o-v-a-l-t-i-n-e

  9. Concern about the price. by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 3, Funny

    Gaahhh! How do I outbid the current price of $XCCCX921 ???

  10. unimpressed by CubicleView · · Score: 5, Funny

    TFA is nothing more than an enigma wrapped in an ebay auction wrapped in a Slashdot article.

  11. Re:The Enigmas were not the only things destroyed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Go back to bed, grandpa.

  12. Enigma 2007, now bundled with Vista Home Edition by Ztringz · · Score: 2, Funny

    Imagine one of these sitting inside your computer, clunking and whirring everytime you accessed SSL pages.

  13. Re:The Enigmas were not the only things destroyed- by clickclickdrone · · Score: 2, Funny

    >>Thereby setting back the UK IT industry by - oh, let's say 10 years, IMHO.
    >It still is.
    Look, I'm doing my best here guys...

    --
    I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil