COLD WAR: HAGELIN CD-57 POCKET CIPHER MACHINE., Hagelin, Boris. 1892-1983.

COLD WAR: HAGELIN CD-57 POCKET CIPHER MACHINE.
Hagelin, Boris. 1892-1983. Military version of the Hagelin CD-57. Zug, Switzerland, Crypto AG: 1957 - c.1975. Hand held pin and lug Pocket Cipher Machine. 135 x 80 x 35 mm. Weight 710 grams. With manufacturers plate "Hagelincryptos", military green/olive hammerite finish. Original card box; with blue paper bound operating instructions.

Hagelin's company Crypto AG issued the CD-57 around 1957, produced for use in NATO and NATO-friendly countries, to fill the niche for a small pocket-sized cipher machine. They were used by armies and covert operatives, all around Europe up until the mid 1970s, and were in wide circulation in the Austrian and Swiss armies. It was an ingenious device with 6 cipher wheels on a single axle. Hagelin at the same time developed a less secure device, the CD-55, which looked like the CD-57 but was sold into non NATO countries and allowed American/ European operatives to break into communications, in effect a special cipher machine to be used by Russia and its allies, which could be read by Nato security services.