Extremely rare Nazi Enigma code transmitter tops $100k at auction (VIDEO)

A fabled device used by Nazi Germany to transmit coded messages during the Second World War has been sold at an auction for more than $100,000.

The cipher device, weighing nearly 30 pounds, was bought by an internet buyer for $106,000, according to the auction house, Heritage Auctions. The machine – which resembles a modified typewriter – comes with operating instructions and a case with an engraved Third Reich emblem.

The device stumped the Allies for years, until British mathematician Alan Turing managed to crack its code. Most of the machines were destroyed by the Germans during the war so they could not fall into enemy hands – making them a much sought-after collectible.

Enigmas are apparently going up in value. In 2017, one of the machines put up for auction raked in a mere $51,500.

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