No serial number

[pico]

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There is an M2 on that auction site (# 200465383346 ) that has no serial number. Does that make it particularly collectible, or does it just indicate a non-Leica replacement of the top shell?

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[doubice]

There could be many explanations for a camera without serial number. The top swap was definitely not performed by Leitz / Leica or any of their official agents. When Leitz replaced the top plate, the whole camera or at least the old top plate had to go to Wetzlar.

 

I rare instances (i.e. when you simply needed the camera for work and could not be without it), you could have the serial number machined out of the top plate, kept the camera and shipped the serial number only to Wetzlar. The local Leitz agent would receive the new serialized top plate back from Germany and installed it on the camera.

 

There were quite a few non-serialized top plates floating around, particularly when Leitz Canada closed their doors, when Leica Germany sold some old parts or, when a local Leitz agent’s service facility closed down. Some of these plates made it into the market and ended up on cameras.

 

As to collectability - as with anything, provenance will be important. If it can be proven that the camera left the factory un-serialized, the value would be higher. Without such provenance, the value depends entirely on the 'mood' of the buyer.....

 

Best,

 

Jan

[luigi bertolotti]

Agree : is very easy to find a unnumbered top plate (see the sites of some specialist shops - labs) : if one hopes with this to make the value of a good M2 skyrocket... best wishes to him to find the right buyer...