Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 6

Cx-52 Model Swiss Cipher Machine

$29,500
£22,474.49
€25,913.99
CA$41,284.65
A$46,128.72
CHF 24,130.43
MX$565,685.98
NOK 308,341.17
SEK 292,389.10
DKK 193,410
Shipping
Retrieving quote...
The 1stDibs Promise:
Authenticity Guarantee,
Money-Back Guarantee,
24-Hour Cancellation

About the Item

A triumph of ingenuity and craftsmanship, this Swiss cipher machine is a fabulous example of mechanical precision. Cipher machines are used to encrypt and decode messages and are most often associated with military campaigns. Though cipher decoders have existed since antiquity, mechanized cipher machines first appeared around World War I. The technology continued to improve throughout World War II and was widely adopted by governments and the military during the Cold War era. This cipher machine is a CX-52 model, first developed around 1952 by Boris Hagelin. At the time of its manufacture around 1960, the machines were produced by Crypto AG in Zug, Switzerland. The CX-52 has an irregular movement of the cipher wheels and was considered an improvement over its predecessor, the C-52, as it was more secure. At the time, the CX-52 code was considered virtually unbreakable by the National Security Agency (NSA). This is an all-mechanical pin-and-lug type cipher machine. Both plain and ciphertext are printed on a gummed paper ribbon. The CX-52 has 6 pinwheels with 47 pins each. The Cipher or Decipher mode is selected with a knob on the left side. To encipher, the operator turns the large letter knob on the left side until the desired letter appears on the letter dial and pushes the lever on the right side of the machine. In Cipher mode the letters are printed in groups of five letters, and the letter X is used to replace a space. Designed to be both sturdy and portable, this Swiss cipher machine exudes an air of intrigue, inviting speculation on what it has seen and secrets it has shared. Marked “Type CX-52 Series D” on right side Circa 1960 Measures: 12“ wide x 8” deep x 6.25“ high.
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 6.25 in (15.88 cm)Width: 12 in (30.48 cm)Depth: 8 in (20.32 cm)
  • Style:
    Other (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1960
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    New Orleans, LA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 31-37281stDibs: LU891127838852

More From This Seller

View All
Swiss Nema Cipher Machine
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Swiss-engineered cipher machine is a fascinating piece of 20th-century military and engineering history, and this particular example is one of the ...
Category

20th Century Swiss Other Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Metal

Mandolin Singing Bird Automaton Music Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
This exceptional singing bird cylinder music box is a wonder of Austrian mechanical ingenuity. Not only does it play a selection of classical airs with remarkable tone and clarity, but its lush sound is accompanied by a colorful, singing bird automaton...
Category

Antique 19th Century Austrian Other Musical Instruments

Materials

Satinwood

Portable Copying Machine by James Watt & Co.
By James Watt
Located in New Orleans, LA
Considered the first step into the world of modern photocopying, the copying machine was among the first widely used devices to successfully produce an ex...
Category

Antique 18th Century English Other Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Mahogany

Polyphon Autochange Disk Music Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
As exceptionally scarce as it is fascinating, this autochange disk player by the Polyphon Musikwerke in Leipzig, Germany can change between six disks and play with the incredibly rare addition of bells that accompany the music. Before a coin is dropped into the slot, slide the brass indicator until it points to the desired music selection, insert a penny, and the chosen song will play automatically. An extremely limited number of these automatic disk changers were ever created, and even fewer have survived in such outstanding condition. Standing over seven feet tall, this particular model boasts a magnificent walnut case with handsome burl panels on its original, matching storage cabinet. A true technical marvel for its day, Polyphon’s automatic disk changer symbolizes pure ingenuity and superlative craftsmanship. This antique player...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century German Other Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

Swiss Station Cylinder Music Box
Located in New Orleans, LA
Tiny dancers twirl to the melodious tunes produced by this Swiss station cylinder music box. The cylinder is joined by a drum and bells that give richness and depth to the wonderful music the box creates. Music boxes were at the height of fashion in the late 19th century and served as a status symbol for the European gentry. Switzerland was the birthplace of cylinder music boxes and home to the great majority of the most renowned manufacturers. This example, in its finely crafted English walnut case, boasts two combs, allowing the box to play in harmony for a richer, more complex song. This particular style, commonly referred to as a “station” or “showcase” box, was used to entertain guests in hotel lobbies, train stations and other similar public places, and as such would have been coin-operated. This example, however, does not accept coins. This, combined with its overall quality, complexity and beauty, indicates it was made for a private household of significant means. Today, these ingenious musical masterpieces are highly sought-after by collectors of musical automata...
Category

Antique 19th Century Swiss Other Musical Instruments

Materials

Brass

French Wine Corker
Located in New Orleans, LA
The fine art of wine-making is brought to life by this rare French wine corker. Beautifully crafted of wrought iron, this corker is specifically des...
Category

20th Century French Other Barware

Materials

Iron

You May Also Like

Russian Electromechanical Wheel-Based Cipher Machine Fialka M 125
Located in Madrid, ES
M-125 Fialka-electromechanical wheel-based cipher machine USSR rotor-based cipher machine M-125, codename Fialka (Russian: ??????), was an el...
Category

Vintage 1950s Scientific Instruments

Materials

Metal

French Antique Contin Typewriter from the, 1940s
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
French antique Contin Typewriter from the 1940s This is a Contin Continsouza Paris, Modèle A n 24 - 1940s, the typewriter is good tidy condition, as a show piece, it all seems to...
Category

Early 20th Century Industrial Scientific Instruments

Materials

Metal

Vintage Royal Quiet De Luxe Typewriter with case
Located in Pasadena, TX
This is an vintage typewriter. It's a Royal De Luxe. All of the keys work. Needs a new ribbon. Comes with carrying/ storage case.
Category

20th Century American Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Metal

Manual Typewriter, HCESAR Keyboard from MESSA
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
Manual typewriter, HCESAR keyboard from MESSA. With a robust design, beige structure and chrome-plated metal details. The ‘HCESAR’ keyboard features raised, dark-coloured round keys,...
Category

Mid-20th Century Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Desk Sets

Materials

Metal

Vintage Smith Corona Typewriter and Case
Located in Pasadena, TX
Vintage Smith corona typewriter and case. Black Smith Corona standard typewriter made in USA. This typewriter features round glass keys. Th...
Category

Vintage 1940s North American Industrial More Desk Accessories

Materials

Metal

Vintage Olivetti Portable Typewriter Model Lettera 27
By Olivetti
Located in Palermo, IT
Olivetti portable typewriter model Lettera 27. Intact and functional, equipped with transport cover. Good condition.
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Desk Sets

Materials

Metal