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Wow -- an online auction for what appears to be a legit Enigma machine. As the Wikipedia entry explains:
In the history of cryptography, the Enigma was a portable cipher machine used to encrypt and decrypt secret messages. More precisely, Enigma was a family of related electro-mechanical rotor machines — comprising a variety of different models.The Enigma was used commercially from the early 1920s on, and was also adopted by the military and governmental services of a number of nations — most famously by Nazi Germany before and during World War II.
Link to auction for "Enigma 3 Walzen Chiffriermaschine Chiper Weltkrieg 1941." Which, in case you're wondering, is said to be "ORIGINAL!!! KEIN NACHBAU!!! VOLL FUNKTIONSTÜCHTIG!!!!" If my math's right, bidding is around US$12K right now. (Danke, Jake Appelbaum)
Reader comment: Tom says,
Here's the english version of the enigma machine on ebay...a little easier to understand!
Reader comment: anonymous says,
Thought you guys might find this link to an Enigma machine kit sold at Bletchley Park (where the machine was originally developed) interesting: Link.
Reader comment: Bill Schweikert says,
Here's a link to paper Enigma machines! Print the PDF files on card stock and you'll have (and understand) a working cypher box.
Reader comment: Roger Braun says,
Just wanted to tell you that the Enigma has not been developed in Bletchley Park, as is suggested in the seconde reader's comment. It's bin developed by Arthur Scherbius in Germany, not in the British Bletchley Park. It has been broken there, though (with a lot of help from Marian Rejewski and his colleagues in Poland).