Swedish Military 3 Crown Summaron 35 2.8 Army lenses - the list and serial numbers

[Al Brown]

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Trying to find a COMPLETE LIST of the Summaron 35mm 2.8 lenses that were delivered to the Swedish Army and had the three crowns insignia of the Swedish Military engraved.

Leica sent an email to me recently responding that "They regretfully possess no official listings of serial numbers or even the exact documented amount of Summaron 35 2.8 lenses delivered to the Swedish Army".

The Wiki article states that 1677001 - 1680000 is the serial number batch from which the "three crown" Summarons (1959/60) were sourced.
Some dealers say there were only 10 such lenses, some say that there were 30, some say lots more, but it is really difficult to get a hold of the real numbers.
I have managed to verify (visually) the small batch of the following serial numbers of the Summaron 35 2.8's that have the 3 crowns engraved. Neither the Wiki entry on the batch, nor the "10 units only" claim seem to be correct. Also, according to Leica archives and Lars Netopil's kind research correspondence, some of the below numbers are FAKE three crown engravnigs:

1664759
1678204
1678208 (depicted in Lager's Illustrated History Vol. 1)
1678210
1678241
1678246
1678305
1678328
1678693
1678780
1679028

Brandt Optik AG (Stockholm) was the Leitz Agent/official importer in Sweden at the time. All items were never shipped directly from Wetzlar to the Swedish military, but to Brandt be delivered to the Swedish military.
Apparently 35/2.8 lenses with three crowns all were shipped together on May 25th 1960 to Brandt Stockholm, with shipping number 80856 (80856 instead of 80866!). Upon checking of some details with Leica AG some of the delivery dates for the serial numbers above did not match the delivery date nor the location, i.e. were delivered to Germany or Asia (HK) instead later and have nothing to do with Swedish Military.

Maybe someone from the community and/or well respected collectors frequenting this forum can help to compile and perfect the list or shed some further light on the matter?
Thank you in advance.

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by Al Brown

[tranquilo67]

Hi,

Thank you very much. Following this thread.

I have some experience with Swedish military cameras (If, IIIf and IIIg) and lenses (Meyer Görlitz 250, Elmar 50 3.5 and 2.8) and  but none with Summarons so I cannot help here.

Best wishes,

Augusto

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[willeica]

3 hours ago, Al Brown said:

Trying to find a COMPLETE LIST of the Summaron 35mm 2.8 lenses that were delivered to the Swedish Army and had the three crowns insignia of the Swedish Military engraved.

Leica sent an email to me recently responding that "They regretfully possess no official listings of serial numbers or even the exact documented amount of Summaron 35 2.8 lenses delivered to the Swedish Army".

The Wiki article states that 1677001 - 1680000 is the serial number batch from which the "three crown" Summarons (1959/60) were sourced.
Some dealers say there were only 10 such lenses, some say that there were 30, some say lots more, but it is really difficult to get a hold of the real numbers.
I have managed to verify (visually) the small batch of the following serial numbers of the Summaron 35 2.8's that have the 3 crowns engraved. Neither the Wiki entry on the batch, nor the "10 units only" claim seem to be correct. Also, according to Leica archives and Lars Netopil's kind research correspondence, some of the below numbers are FAKE three crown engravnigs:

1664759
1678204
1678208 (depicted in Lager's Illustrated History Vol. 1)
1678210
1678241
1678246
1678305
1678328
1678693
1678780
1679028

Brandt Optik AG (Stockholm) was the Leitz Agent/official importer in Sweden at the time. All items were never shipped directly from Wetzlar to the Swedish military, but to Brandt be delivered to the Swedish military.
Apparently 35/2.8 lenses with three crowns all were shipped together on May 25th 1960 to Brandt Stockholm, with shipping number 80856 (80856 instead of 80866!). Upon checking of some details with Leica AG some of the delivery dates for the serial numbers above did not match the delivery date nor the location, i.e. were delivered to Germany or Asia (HK) instead later and have nothing to do with Swedish Military.

Maybe someone from the community and/or well respected collectors frequenting this forum can help to compile and perfect the list or shed some further light on the matter?
Thank you in advance.

 

The book by Hartmut Thiele has no additional notes for that Summaron batch/range. Do they have Military Archives in Sweden that might be able to help? Looking at this from the Leica end is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. Likewise, I assume that Brandt Optik no longer exists. Looking at the huge premium which 3 Crowns items fetch in the market it is not surprising that there are counterfeit items out there. Finally, if Lars does not have a definitive answer, I doubt if anyone else has one, unless you can find something in Sweden

William 

[Al Brown]

6 hours ago, willeica said:

The book by Hartmut Thiele has no additional notes for that Summaron batch/range. Do they have Military Archives in Sweden that might be able to help? Looking at this from the Leica end is a bit like looking for a needle in a haystack. Likewise, I assume that Brandt Optik no longer exists. Looking at the huge premium which 3 Crowns items fetch in the market it is not surprising that there are counterfeit items out there. Finally, if Lars does not have a definitive answer, I doubt if anyone else has one, unless you can find something in Sweden

William 

Lars did have kind of a definite answer yet there is still information that could be gathered.... I am reluctant to wwrite which (expensively) auctioned items from the list are fake.

[willeica]

1 hour ago, Al Brown said:

Lars did have kind of a definite answer yet there is still information that could be gathered.... I am reluctant to wwrite which (expensively) auctioned items from the list are fake.

Thanks. I can understand why, given the huge prices which these items fetch. It might be good, though, if Leica or Lars, published a list of what is known to be 'not fake', if this is possible. 

William 

[mmx_2]

There would most likely be something in Riksarkivet (the Swedish National Records), but since they are collecting all kinds of records, and only a small portion of their records are digitized to date, it would be difficult to find. Date and year always helps, I can see if I can search when I have some time, since it’s all in Swedish.

As for serials:

1678246 is definitely a real one. It was sold first time to the “public” in 2005 at LP auction in Stockholm (auction 23), and with provenance from a military captain that had used it. But otherwise it might be difficult. Cameras are more well documented. Not only cameras and lenses got the triple crown engraving, I’ve seen it on both table top tripods and Leitz binoculars (even though Zeiss binoculars are more common with triple crown). 

1678210 also likely real and sold by LP in 2014 with a black IIIg. 

As is 1667947, sold in 2010.

The Swedish Army also used M-cameras in the 1970s and 1980s, but these where normal “civilian” version without any special engraving. Serials might be available in the records anyway.

Brandt Optik lost the rights to Leitz in the middle of 1980:s, and company is since long defunct, so there is likely nothing to be found. But military records (which are declassified), should be available at Riksarkivet and they are usually very thorough.

 

Edited December 4, 2021 by mmx_2

[Al Brown]

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1 hour ago, mmx_2 said:

There would most likely be something in Riksarkivet (the Swedish National Records), but since they are collecting all kinds of records, and only a small portion of their records are digitized to date, it would be difficult to find. Date and year always helps, I can see if I can search when I have some time, since it’s all in Swedish.

As for serials:

1678246 is definitely a real one. It was sold first time to the “public” in 2005 at LP auction in Stockholm (auction 23), and with provenance from a military captain that had used it. But otherwise it might be difficult. Cameras are more well documented. Not only cameras and lenses got the triple crown engraving, I’ve seen it on both table top tripods and Leitz binoculars (even though Zeiss binoculars are more common with triple crown). 

1678210 also likely real and sold by LP in 2014 with a black IIIg. 

As is 1667947, sold in 2010.

The Swedish Army also used M-cameras in the 1970s and 1980s, but these where normal “civilian” version without any special engraving. Serials might be available in the records anyway.

Brandt Optik lost the rights to Leitz in the middle of 1980:s, and company is since long defunct, so there is likely nothing to be found. But military records (which are declassified), should be available at Riksarkivet and they are usually very thorough.

 

You are right on the first two serial numbers, for the third I have no data.
If you have the time please do check the Riksarkivet. The date to start with is written in my post above.
Thank you for your input.

Edited December 4, 2021 by Al Brown