Early Nickel Elmar f3.5 50mm Standard Lens

[George Furst]

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I recently purchased an early Leica model C serial number 60601 making it a camera made in 1931 and a very early standard mount camera (Laney"s Leica Collectors Guide, pg 48, states that 60501 was the first). I had the camera and lens given a CLA here in Korea and the Eleven O'clock Elmar lens had a number etched inside the lens barrel of 78653. Also there were roman numerals scratched on the flange of lens mount. The numerals were an X adjacent and under the stop pin and XII III on the rear flange of the mount. In the Leica Club of America publication "Viewfinder" Vol. 26 #3 page 28 there was a letter about a Hector lens with the same roman numerals on the flange. The answer given at the time was that "An identical lens with the XII III marking has been reported: this probably is a mark applied at the factory to designate standardized mount for assembly with a particular focal length group". Has anyone seen these markings on other lens and is this lens of a similar date as the camera, that is 1931 of there abouts? What is the meaning of the roman numerals?

[wizard]

What I know is that in the early days of non-standardized mounts, Leica (or Leitz at the time) engraved or etched the full serial number of the camera body into each lens that was factory adjusted to that very body. Since the number in your lens is different from the number of your body, this would appear to indicate that your lens was at least originally matched to another body (the one having the serial number engraved in your lens). Of course, your lens may have been adjusted to the current body at a later time. I have no idea what the roman numerals are meant to indicate, other may jump in here.

 

Andy

[George Furst]

I appreciate you comments but the number I am describing is not a camera number but a lens number. I know that the non standard early Leica Model C cameras had the serial numbers on the lens flange (usually the last three digits of the camera as the focal length of the camera bodies varied). The lens I am describing has the number hidden inside the lens barrel. It cannot be seen unless one takes the lens apart. These lens numbers are not found on the earliest Elmar lens as they did not start numbering the lens until the late twenties and early thirties. Then about 1932 Leitz started numbering the lens in the usual location just adjacent to the outer lens sometime after the 90000 mark was reached. The lowest serial number I have found in my research is 68679 on an early 2.5 Hector lens.