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Contessa Sonnet Tropen (Tropical) (4.5x6, Vest Pocket)

The Contessa Sonnet Tropen is a tropical-finish folding plate camera from the early 20th century, taking 4.5x6 cm exposures in a vest pocket format. Tropical (Tropen) variants were finished with teak or polished wood and brown leather bellows, intended for use in hot, humid climates.

With only a single recorded UK auction result in our database — a hammer price of £500 in 2011 — there is no meaningful range or median to quote for what a Sonnet Tropen is worth today. Tropical folders of this era are condition-sensitive at saleroom level, and value depends heavily on bellows integrity, wood condition, and completeness of the original lens and shutter.

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Sales History

Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.

Date Price Source
Jul 2025 £151 Chiswick Auctions
Nov 2016 EUR 650 Leitz Auction
May 2011 EUR 500 Leitz Auction
May 2010 EUR 850 Leitz Auction

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