Antique Curta II Calculator. SN 505338. Germany, February 1955

Fascinating antique Curta II calculator with SN 505338, made in Germany in February 1955, in fine aesthetical condition and great working order. The calculator comes with its original black-enameled metal sleeve, with the brand name clearly printed in white lettering. It is also accompanied by an original instruction booklet in French. At the base of this small machine we can see an inscription with the serial number and details about the item, in perfect condition too. In order to use the calculator, numbers must be entered using the slides on the side of the cylinder and then the operation to perform must be selected. With just a turn of the crank the result appears at the top of the machine; to choose the operation, the user must manipulate the crank. This reliable, functional and compact design turned this model into the most popular portable calculator ever, until the arrival of electronic calculators in the 1970s. This antique Curta II calculator with SN 505338 is a real collectors piece, in excellent condition and ready to use. Curta Calculators - History Curta calculators have a fascinating story behind. They were conceived and designed by Curt Herzstark (1902-1988) in Austria, in the 1930s. Herzstarks mother was a Catolic and his father was a Jew, and he was sent to Buchwald Concentration Camp during World War II. While he was there, the Nazi authorities promoted the development of his invention with the idea of giving it to Hitler as a gift when Germany won the war. Herzstark started drawing his ideas and when Buchenwald was liberated by the United States he located a factory in Sommertal where he could bring his invention to life. Curta calculators have been considered the best portable calculators ever, until the arrival of electronic calculators in the 1970s.