A scratched name wartime IIIc

[John Shriver]

I was very careful when leaving the country with my Beseler Topcon Super D and lens in 1973 to get paperwork from customs that I already owned it. Both so I wouldn't have to pay duty bringing it back in, and so that I wouldn't have worry about needing to remove the Topcon trademark (owned in US by Beseler) when bringing it back in.

 

[tunalegs]

It was very common for cameras and lenses distributed by "unofficial" importers to have the trademarked brand names filed off.

http://captjack.exaktaphile.com/Astraflex55.htm <--- An Exakta with an "Astraflex 55" badge.
http://www.praktica-collector.de/084_Rival_35_MX_reflex.htm <--- Praktica FX with a "Rival Reflex" badge.

http://www.praktica-collector.de/085_Contica.htm <--- Praktica FX with a "Contica" badge - note how the engraving for Primoplan on the lens has been painted over too.

I've also seen Pentacon and Edixa cameras given this treatment.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

So, just received my Scratched Leica IIIc with serial number 379xxx.

The camera works fine, though the vulcanite had some repairs and I had to stabilize a crack.
I discovered it still had the original red curtains. Someone used a marker or paint to darken them, but the folded over edges were still red!

Winning! 🙂