It turns out that the camera featured on “The Antiques Roadshow” all those years ago is phenomenally rare. The Leica II was originally made in 1932 by a renowned German manufacturer and was considered a cutting-edge model for both professional photographers and enthusiasts for its rangefinder — a feature previously unheard of in such a small design. According to Bonhams spokesman Andrew Currie, the initial run of the popular new camera was 52,000 units (via the Express). However, Leica also took the liberty of creating four “Luxus” specimens, with gold plating and lizard leather, to be sold to wealthy customers looking for the most luxurious possible model on the market. The whereabouts of three of those Leica Luxus IIs are currently unknown, making the one brought to “The Antiques Roadshow” unique to all intents and purposes.
So when the gold-plated Leica Luxus II finally was put up for sale, it unsurprisingly caused quite a stir, with many outlets linking it back to its appearance on the beloved antiques show a decade earlier. It sold at auction for £380,000, or around $615,000, which, though far below the estimate, was about 76 times the original “Antiques Roadshow” valuation.
