highest serial number for Zorki-C

There was quite an interesting Zorki-C on ebay 391365815604 in USA. No need to post pictures here because it looks like a late C. Special is the serial #59948323 which nomally belongs to a 2C when normally the latest C were produced with 5810xxxx. For some reasons I assume this camera is not a fake and it seems some other bidders think so too. I didn't win the auction but maybe the winner can tell us more about this late Zorki-C.

Hi Lenny,
the serial number is really too late for Zorki-C and the lens has earlier s/n as the camera, it is from 1957. Furthermore the body was definitely repainted, so it means, that it had to be disassembled. I cannot say, that the camera is fake, but it could be reassembled from different parts.

Regards, Alexander

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Originally posted by AlexanderK

Hi Lenny,
the serial number is really too late for Zorki-C and the lens has earlier s/n as the camera, it is from 1957. Furthermore the body was definitely repainted, so it means, that it had to be disassembled. I cannot say, that the camera is fake, but it could be reassembled from different parts.

Regards, Alexander

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Yes I know Alexander,
Zorkis are cameras for interchangeable lenses. That the lens is from 1957 and not 1959 doesn't matter much. It is quite common, especially nowadays, when collectors and dealers handle with hundrets of cameras.
The vulcanite is red painted, so you have to assume the vulcanite was disassembled, but that is easy to do and you always have to disassemble it, if you want to service the camera.
But to change the top plate with the serial number is much work and might not be worth the work to get more money for a fake.
I don't think those 3 bidders offered more than $50 for a very common Zorki-C only because it is painted in red. In USA you can find Zorki-C much cheaper on ebay and collectors from Europe have to pay even more, higher shipping rates and custom fees than buying directly in Ukraine.
Maybe a member here bought it. It would be interesting to see pictures if the self-timer is still there. But as I said, I assume this camera is not a fake.

A bad engraving? A 9 instead of 8?
A special order?
Of course, the added value cannot justify a fake. I rather think of an error: it would not be the first time.

Jacques.

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Originally posted by Jacques M.


A bad engraving? A 9 instead of 8?
A special order?
Of course, the added value cannot justify a fake. I rather think of an error: it would not be the first time.

Jacques.

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Jacques,
those serials were not engraved, there are only engraved serials in 1955 and 1956 for Zorki-C and 2C. If the second digit was a mistake the real serial must be 589xxxxx or 579xxxxx, but the highest serials are only 581xxxxx and 572xxxxx for Zorki-C. These serials are stamped. Now imagine they had to stamp over hundret thousand serials each year. To save time the first digits were stamped together, it can be seen in the serials, different pressure and different angle of stamping. These first 3 digits "599" are mostly the same. The 5 is more upright. The second digit is very oblique, much more than the 5. Hard to imagine to have a mistake in the first 3 digits when they were stamped together.

Of course there were mistakes made in serials, there are lots of examples, but not in the first digits of stamped serials.

Well, in that case, Alexander's idea is the most logical: a camera mounted from different parts after repaint...

I assume by time other examples of the same kind will be found. In 1959 were still Zorki-C parts left. Because of the familiarity to the 2C some complete Zorki-C could be made. Later KMZ changed this philosophy, Zorki-2C were produced with Zorki-C top-plates and the stamped logo was re-engraved to "2c". But it seems this variant could be hardly sold.