The 'Germany' engraving on Leitz LTM gear

[johannielscom]

Just today as I came back from a short trip, I received an envelope in the mail which contained some small items for Leitz screw mount gear that I bought.

Two of the items (a lens rear cap and a body cap, both chrome) are engraved with a very small 'Germany' in kind-of Gothic typeface. I haven't got a picture ready now (will shoot and upload tomorrow) but just now I found an ad in the Classifieds here on RFF, with a WEISU 35mm finder which is also in chrome and has the same engraving.

What is the significance of this engraving? Is it more common in black paint gear or in chrome gear?

I'm considering trading the chrome rear lens cap and body cap with the engravings, as well as a flatfaced chrome front cap for the Elmar. Just for info, what price would be suitable for them, so I can estimate what to trade for?

Thanks.

 

[Penny Lane]

I don't know anything at all about this engraving, but I can tell you that that typeface is the same as for the word 'Germany' on my '48 IIc/IIIf conversion. If there's anything to know about this typeface I'd be happy to add that to my collection of facts for which I currently have no use...

Derk

 

[johannielscom]

Haha, nice!

Let's wait and see what people can tell us, Derk! Cheers!

 

[Erik van Straten]

Usually a "Germany" engraving on early Leica equipment means that the specific item was intended for exportation to the UK or USA. Usually the distance-engraving was in feet.

The chrome WEISU in the mentioned ad is a super rare item. The black one in this form is already very rare, but the item in chrome I have never seen. The chrome version usually has a more modern form, with straight lines.

Erik.

 

[johannielscom]

Ah, that figures, I bought items from the US.
I suspect prices to be only slightly above normal then, if anything higher at all.

Thanks, Erik!

Oh, and I will still post promised picture, as a future reference.

 

[Dez]

I have a nice II from the first production batch in 1932. It has the Woods metal-filled "Germany" engraving in the accessory shoe, and an 11:00 Elmar with no serial number, in feet, so there must have been very early exports of this model.

Cheers,
Dez

 

[Erik van Straten]

there must have been very early exports

Yes, even model I ("A" in the US) was exported.

Erik.

 

[johannielscom]

My lens is an 11 o'clock nickel Elmar 3.5/50mm, converted from a fixed lens to a standardized screw mount. And it's also scaled in feet so it was an export lens as well.

Camera also is a 1932 Leica II in black and nickel (but not engraved 'Germany').

EDIT: Added the promised picture, for future reference.

 

[Mojo]

"I'm considering trading the chrome rear lens cap and body cap with the engravings, as well as a flatfaced chrome front cap for the Elmar. Just for info, what price would be suitable for them, so I can estimate what to trade for?"

You can check e*bay'. A few months ago, I saw a bakelite "Leica" body cap starting at $45--no bids. The seller believed it is a 1930's cap but the "leica" scrip looked more like a war time.

 

[Mojo]

I have body, lens and dust caps for my 1934 black nickel III and pre-1931 nickel lenses. They are all black paint.

I also have a 36mm lens cap with bright chrome finish. I thought it may be a fake but then I saw some at collector books and at KEH. Can anyone shed light on this version.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

There was a law after first World War that Britain and USA required the marking germany or made in germany for german goods. This was propably to mark the products so that buyers who thought german goods were inferior, could see that straight away. One nice detail of the opposite practice: During the second World War England produced a STEN machine gun, a simple product with questionable quality... So bad actually that when germans needed Sten machine guns for undercover operations, they produced their own copy with much better quality, but with stamped on text "Made in england"

 

[sevo]

There was a law after first World War that Britain and USA required the marking germany or made in germany for german goods. This was propably to mark the products so that buyers who thought german goods were inferior, could see that straight away.

That regulation was British, and dates back to the late 19th century, when the UK wanted to protect Sheffield cutlery against cheap German imitations made in Solingen...

FWIW, even here in Germany most early Leica items I run across are engraved "Germany", so Leitz apparently did mostly engrave the entire production run - there must be more complex (and interesting) reasons behind the relatively rare exceptions.

 

[johannielscom]

Right. The above stuff is listed in the Want to Trade section on our own RFF now, but so far no takers. Thought I'd just let you guys 'n gals know.

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

That regulation was British, and dates back to the late 19th century, when the UK wanted to protect Sheffield cutlery against cheap German imitations made in Solingen...

FWIW, even here in Germany most early Leica items I run across are engraved "Germany", so Leitz apparently did mostly engrave the entire production run - there must be more complex (and interesting) reasons behind the relatively rare exceptions.

Well, well. seems there is more to the subject...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_Germany