Carl ZEISS Jena Sonnar T F2/50 50 mm M39 LTM year 1941 rarest READ

CARL ZEISS JENA SONNAR T 2/50 50 50MM F2 2 M39 LTM YEAR 1941 RARE

Very rare version of Zeiss Jena Sonnar 2/50 T, with M39 LTM threadmount, rangefinder-coupled.

Serial number 2687351, year of production 1941, WW-II war production.

Pure rare collector's item, not really suitable for use.

Functions (aperture, focusing) ok, but following issue:

Front lens worn and coating damages, makes surely a much too soft image. Oil on aperture blades.

We have receivd an expert's comment to this lens, here in copy for your information:

THERE ARE VERY VERY FEW ZEISS LENS WITH THIS TYPE OF ENGRAVING... TO MY KNOWLEDGE A HANDFULL AT THE MOST... (I HAD A LONG DISCUSSION WITH CH. BARRINGER ABOUT THOSE, BEFORE HE DIED)... HE HAD NOTED ALL THE KNOWN EXEMPLE... THERE IS A 85/2, A 50/1.5 (MINE) AND THEY ARE ALL WARTIME LENSES... (NOT PROTOTYPE BECAUSE THEY ARE OLDER THAN THE "NORMAL ENGRAVED" LTM T LENSES) ... MAY BE PRODUCED IN A WORKSHOP OUTSIDE THE MAIN FACTORY... BUT DEFINTIVELY BEFORE THE END OF THE WAR...

WHAT IS SO SPECIAL IS THE DIAMOND SHAPED GUILLOCHAGE... AND THE ENGRAVINGS OF THE DEPTH OF FIELD SCALE...
AND ONE HYPOTHESIS ABOUT THAT BATCH OF LENS IS THAT LIKE ALL THE WARTIME LTM ZEISS THEY WERE MADE FOR THE MILITARY, BUT THAT THIS SPECIFIC LENSES WERE MADE AFTER THE BOMBING OF THE FACTORY... IN A RUSH SOMEWHERE ELSE, FROM AVAILABLE GLASS PARTS ... SO THE SERIAL NUMBER MAY BE 1941, BUT THE PRODUCTION IS A BIT LATER... TRANSFORMING A CONTAX DESIGNED 50MM IN A LTM IS NOT THAT EASY... IT'S NOT THE SAME FOCAL LENGHT (49 IN LEITZ, 52 IN CONTAX)