C0005

Enigma machine keyboard
Title
Enigma machine keyboard
Production date
c. 1939-1943
Additional Title information
A damaged keyboard of an Enigma machine.
MATERIAL(s)
Zamak alloy, aluminium, steel, glass, rubber.
Type
Cipher machine part
DIMENSIONS
260 x 90 x 110 mm
Serial number(s)
Contributer(S)
Chiffriermaschine AG
COLLECTION NUMBER
C0005
CONDITION
Fair. Wartime damage but retains some functionality. Some paint loss in places.
Category / Subcategory (if applicable)
Location
Main collection (Warwickshire, UK).
STATUS
In storage
provenance
Ex: A private Austrian collection. Originally discovered in an attic in Austria in 2016.
Acquisition Date
Jan 2019
Associated object(S)
Record Last Updated
Sep 24, 2023
DESCRIPTION
A keyboard from a German Enigma machine. The keyboard is in a damaged condition, missing some keys and the back row of springs. Some of the keys are functional, but some are not. It is possible that this keyboard was cannibalised for spares during the War. The keyboard was likely destroyed at the end of the Second World War in order to prevent it from falling in the hands of Allied forces. Fortunately left in an attic, the keyboard is in a remarkably good condition, and is one of the best surviving examples of an Enigma machine destroyed by German troops at the end of the War. Indeed, many ended up thrown away in holes dug in the ground or were thrown in the sea, so are now in a far worse condition. One of the keyboard 'legs' is the guide pin for an Enigma Umkehrwalze (reflector), evidence of a possible field repair.
Notes
No items found.
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Chiffriermaschine. Object title goes here (Object C0001). Chiffriermaschine Collection Online. Last updated: <insert date here>. https://www.chiffriermaschine.com/explore/object-link-goes-here.