No serial numbers? M4

[adan]

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A lot of sound and fury here.

1) Leica parts are emminently interchangeable - there is no reason at all to assume this is how this entire camera left the factory. With 40-50 years since manufacture, I am generally never mystified by these oddball cameras, because swapping and changing the parts is not that uncommon.

2) Clearly the Post #1 sample does not have a self timer. Compare image to Post #17 - if a self-timer lever were mounted, it would be easily visible even in a top view, so long as any of the front plate is visible in perspective.

3) Not hard to find M4 top plates with no number yet engraved with SN:

My estimation: an M4-2 (or-P) owner dented his top plate - or simply preferred the classic Leica/Wetzlar top engraving in the era before "A la carte." Found a 3rd-party repairperson with a spare, unnumbered M4 plate, and had that installed. Along with an (unengraved) plain flash shoe - which meant the camera ended up with neither the M4, nor the M4-2/P, S/N.

Some M4-2 have red dot logos on the front, many do not

Heck, CameraWest is selling an engraved silver M4-2 with self-timer - which is not the way most of them left the factory either (but apparently it was a "special-order" option). But note that it has the standard M4-2/P larger, swooshier embossed (not engraved) "Leica" top trademark - with no "DBP ERNST LEITZ GMBH...etc.")

https://www.camerawest.com/used/leica-m4-2-silver-self-timer-1480065