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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?"

14 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 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. 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.

  4. 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
        / \

  5. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    So, nothing new?