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Weird case on early type 2

 
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:25 pm    Post subject: Weird case on early type 2 Reply with quote

Hi All,

Just saw 500406 go on Ebay...has anyone seen a case like this before? Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-CURTA-Mechancal-Calculator-TYPE-II-EARLY-no-500406-/360357778829?pt=UK_Collectables_Scientific_MJ&hash=item53e6ff558d#ht_1286wt_1144

Any information would be appreciated.

EDIT: Okay, when I said, "Just saw 500406 go..." what I meant was, "I have an itchy trigger finger on 'buy it now' items". I bought it. I have it now and the strange case indeed looks like a production item (moulded plastic, raised logo, reverse threads, same-as-other-Curta-cases foam and bumper and gasket). Perhaps it was a prototype that was rejected in favour of the finalized plastic cases with which we are all familiar, but I'd be surprised to find I have the only surviving example - anyone else got one?

I have taken slightly better pictures (they're still awful, I am no MURFF), comparing it to other cases I have. I don't have a website though - if you want to see them, please PM me on this site and give me a proper email address. Admin, if you have the facility to post the pictures here on the BB, please let me know.
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murff



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 592
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Sun May 01, 2011 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are Petes pictures (hosted at curta.li):






















And this picture shows that this canister was provided by
AUTOMATIC BUSINESS MACHINES LIMITED. London
(based on the label fragments...):



So it's likely that this Curta canister was an official model
(a fabrication sample would not have a distribution label on it...).
Maybe a replacement canister fabricated outside of Contina SA...
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 5:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Frenchman is selling one just like mine - http://www.ebay.ca/itm/RARE-Early-CURTA-Calculator-TYPE-II-500421-VERY-GOOD-STATE-1953-/131612996640?hash=item1ea4bef420:g:mcEAAOSwKIpWBk3L

Serials are very close. The machine I got with mine is a repair job, though - plastic crank and other items in the top carriage tell me someone once dropped it on its head and sent it back to Contina to get it fixed. So this one for sale is nicer!

Thanks to Vincent for noticing this sale, cheers.
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murff



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 592
Location: Switzerland

PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 3:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hmmm... US $3,999.00 Question
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Pete



Joined: 04 Mar 2010
Posts: 201
Location: Great White North

PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 6:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, considering the guys on this forum have mostly already bought their collections I'm not hugely against some small appreciation in the prices! But yeah, you're right, USD4000 is a bit much for what is a simple early type 2. And the prototype case is, frankly, flimsy and crude in comparison to the metal canisters, even the plastic canisters are very much better made. The Frenchman will sell his machine to a deep-pocketed collector who must have EVERY type...there's buyers out there for Demo Boxes, after all, and you could buy a car for what those cost.
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