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‘Leitz Photographica Auction’ at the Leitz-Park in Wetzlar: winning bid of over 1 million euros for a Leica MP-2

Under the new name 'Leitz Photographica Auction' (formerly 'WestLicht Photographica Auction'), the now 34th in the series of camera auctions, which took place in the Leica Welt in the Leitz Park in Wetzlar, registered numerous top auction results.

The 1 million euro mark was topped again at the auction on 8 June: Eventually sold for 1,020,000 euros incl. buyer's premium, a Leica MP-2 was the absolute highlight of the auction. Manufactured in the 1950s, the Leica MP-2 was the first M camera with an electric motor drive. It is considered to be one of the most significant M cameras ever to have been offered for sale by auction.

A further outstanding result at the auction was the sum of 456,000 euros including buyer's premium achieved by the Leica 250 Reporter GG with a Leica Motor MOOEV.It is one of the rarest and most valuable cameras manufactured by Leitz/Leica, and it is estimated that only fifteen examples have survived until today. Most examples of this camera were delivered during World War II and were lost in the chaos of war.

With a winning bid of 360,000 euros including buyer's premium, the Leica M3 Prototype, was another highlight of the auction.This camera is an extremely rare prototype of the M3 from the series of pre-production test-cameras produced in 1952/53. Also up for auction was the Leica MP Chrome 'Fred Baldwin' – a camera formerly owned by the US-American photographer. In beautiful condition, this camera achieved a hammer price that was around twice as high as the original estimate. It changed hands for 60,000 euros incl. the buyer's premium.
Alongside Leica rarities, numerous attractive collector's pieces from other manufacturers were also sold at the auction. Lot 370, a Russian-made Fed I Fedka, was probably the biggest surprise of the day. With a starting price of 1,000 euros, bidders drove the price of the camera to an unexpected 31,200 euros incl. buyer's premium.

'Leitz Photographica Auction' is one of the world's leading auction houses for classic and vintage cameras and photographica, and has firmly established itself on the international scene. A rare example of the Leica 0-Series produced in 1923 was a sensational highlight at the auction in 2018. The camera achieved a record-breaking hammer price of 2.4 million euros and still holds the record for the highest price ever paid for a camera sold by auction.

Press Release - ‘Leitz Photographica Auction’ at the Leitz-Park in Wetzlar
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Leica Camera – A Partner for Photography

Leica Camera AG is an international, premium manufacturer of cameras and sports optics. The legendary reputation of the Leica brand is based on a long tradition of excellent quality, German craftsmanship and German industrial design, combined with innovative technologies. An integral part of the brand's culture is the diversity of activities the company undertakes for the advancement of photography. In addition to the Leica Galleries and Leica Akademies spread around the world, there are the Leica Hall of Fame Award and, in particular, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA), which is considered one of the most innovative sponsorship awards existing today. Furthermore, Leica Camera AG, with its headquarters in Wetzlar, Hesse, and a second production site in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, has a worldwide network of its own national organisations and Leica Retail Stores.