: The 75-year-old mouse was no match for the legendary German
cipher machine from World War II at Auction Team Breker's sale of
technical antiques on November 29.
"Enigma," the cipher machine, was the top seller at $32,900,
while an exceptional rare tin toy motorbike by Tipp & Co.,
Nuremberg, with Mickey and Minnie made $31,500, primarily due to
the replaced arms.
Tipp & Co. tin toy motorbike, $31,500.
Auctioneer Uwe Breker said a "giant" international audience
showed a tremendous interest in rare and extraordinary collector's
items of science and technology of the past 300 years.
Other highlights of the sale included the German calculating
machine "Adsumudi," which realized $28,600; a rare World War I
radio receiver by Telefunken, which reached the new record level
of $14,300; an exceptionally early telephone by Ericsson, which
was sold for $5,720; and an excellent fountain pen by Mont Blanc,
which changed ownership for $1,150.
An unusual and rare pocket typewriter sold for $3,750, and a
heraldic animal-type Swiss bear hat stand reached $6,750. From
the world of inventions, Joseph Storer's, London/UK, amazing
patented "Perpetual Fountain" from 1871 set a new world record
with $9,300. The fascinating classic original printing press
Columbia Press by Clymer & Dixon, London, 1840, found a new
home in a well-known private printing historical collection for
$17,200.
Columbia Press by Clymer & Dixon, $17,200.
Folk art was offered in a collection of seven mechanical
fairground target figures, circa 1930, which were sold for $2,900.
An early German radio set by Siemens from 1924 made $ 14,300, while
a new world record price was set by a Black Forest flute clock from
1830, which was in excellent condition and sold for $10,050 to an
important private Arab collection.
A spectacular coin-operated Wurlitzer Nickelodeon Orchestrion
went for $16,050. A very early French cyclist automaton, circa
1850, found in an important French private overseas collection,
brought $4,750, while a giant selection of different mechanical
musical instruments offered special rarities, like a
coin-operated music automaton cognac dispenser, which was sold
for $7,300 to a private collection in the United States.
An early German coin-op station cylinder musical box, circa 1880,
went for $15,750. The spectacular coin-op Gramophone with
extremely rare and extraordinary orchid-type tin horn from 1906
sold for $4,600, while a fairy phonograph lamp from 1919 reached
$4,750.
An American Wurlitzer model 10151/2 music box from 1945 sold for
$11,500, and a Symphonion "Rokoko" German music box waltzed to a
new record high of $9,300. Finally, the "grandfather" of all
musical boxes, the Polyphon no. 1041/2 from 1900 made $12,200.
