Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/10/25

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Did I really see a Luftwaffe M2 today?
From: Mike Dembinski <mdembin@it.com.pl>
Date: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 08:06:25 +0200

Lucien - many thanks for your reply; you've answered the question, leaving
no doubt ...

because...

>In Lager Volume I, Cameras
>on page 157 there is a grey finished M2 Nr 1005756 (picture in color)
>and on page 201 the Nr 1005766.(B&W)
>In Nakamura Leica Collection there is the Nr 1005759 (color).

And the camera on offer has one of the above serial numbers!

Moral of the story - to Leica fakers - check all known rarities before
assigning the serial number!

>Only the cover, base plate, hot shoe and vulcanite are grey.
>All the levers, knobs, dials and lugs are chrome.

The faker got that part right - its chrome levers and dials make it
instantly recognisable as "something else"

>According to Lager:
>20 M2's (1005751-1005770) factory designated "Luftwaffe-grau"
>(air force grey) were prepared in 1960 for an agency of the
>United states government.

This "graphite" M2 was a darker "grau"  than Luftwaffe-grau

>I think this grey M2 may be a fake.

Hmmm - it's *still* tempting, given its quality - the dealer wants 9000
zloties for it - $2,700 at today's exchange rate (a mere $2,375 six weeks
ago before the dollar's fall).

Any opinions - very-near mint M2, Luftwaffe fake, $2,700 - haggle the
dealer down, by threatening to expose him as a fraud - or just give his
stand a wide berth in future?