Collecting

Rare Nazi ‘Enigma’ Code Machine Tops $100,000 at Auction

  • Hitler’s military destroyed most to keep out of Allies’ hands
  • Churchill ordered rest to be destroyed at end of World War II
A German Enigma enciphering machine.Photographer: Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

A rare “Enigma” machine, used by Nazi Germany to create military communications code thought to be unbreakable, sold at auction for more than $106,000.

The 28.5-pound cipher machine went to an internet buyer on Saturday, according to Heritage Auctions. It comes with operating instructions, a case with an engraved Third Reich emblem -- and a rich lore including how British scientist Alan Turing helped crack the code.