From Espionage to Auction... WW2 Cipher Machines
10/10/2025 | Emma Garnham , Matthew Tredwen
Delve into the shadowy world of WW2 espionage and the groundbreaking cipher technologies it relied on.
What is Enigma?
Likely the most famous cipher system, Enigma is the cipher device used by German military high command to make strategic communications secret in case they became intercepted.
How did Enigma work?
The enigma code could be regularly changed, making the cipher challenging to solve. This relied on the use of codes and devices. One of the most famous episodes is that of the work of British intelligence at Bletchley Park, specifically the work of mathematician Alan Turing in solving the encryption of German military command. Made famous by the 2014 film, the work of those at Bletchley Park signified the advance of British intelligence and technologies in the war.
The Lorenz machines
C. Lorenz AG, a Berlin-based manufacturer of electronic devices, initially manufactured typewriters in the 1890s, transitioning into the market of teleprinters at the turn of the century. Throughout WW1 the company was active in the provision of telephone and telegraph equipment for the German military. As Europe once more descended into war in the 1930s, the Lorenz company was commissioned by the German Army High Command to enable secret communication.
Teleprinters such as the Lorenz T36 made use of the Baudot Code, the popular, 32-symbol telegraph code. Constructed of a keyboard, printer and electric motor, teleprinters received encoded incoming messages, decoded and printed the messages.
Although not cryptographic machines in their own right, teleprinters were used in combination with cipher machines and enabled the development of mechanised espionage in the twentieth century.
From espionage to auction
C&T Auctioneers & Valuers are thrilled to present a rare and historically important T36 Teleprinter for the Lorenz SZ42 Cipher Machine. One of only a handful known to exist, the teleprinter features its original paint finish and is a tangible link to one of the most famous developments of wartime technology.
The teleprinter features as lot 1092 in C&T's Fine Arms, Armour & Militaria live auction, taking place over Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th October, 2025.
For more information, view the auction listing here.
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