Kiev John Player Special
The Kiev John Player Special is a novelty Soviet-era rangefinder camera finished in the black-and-gold livery of the John Player Special cigarette brand. It is a 35mm film camera based on the Kiev rangefinder platform, sold as a collector's piece rather than a mainstream photographic tool.
At recent UK auction, hammer prices for the Kiev John Player Special have sat in the £350–£700 range, with a median around £650 based on three recorded sales. As of 2026, this remains a thinly traded collector item, so the price a given example sells for today is highly sensitive to cosmetic condition of the black-and-gold finish and to the presence of any original packaging.
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.
Prices updated: June 2023
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| Jun 2023 | EUR 650 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 42 (Lot AI_20220121_1128_41443) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
metal replica of John Player cigarettes pack, with a small opening for the lens, irregularly protruding 'cigarettes', with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body no.8813801 (engraved on the bottom side), the film is transported by pulling the protruding fake cigarette, with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, in near mint condition and working order, with second film magazine and maker's box Estimate: EUR 800 - EUR 900 |
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| Nov 2022 | EUR 700 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 41 (Lot AI_41_40686) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
metal replica of John Player cigarettes packet, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding 'cigarettes', with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body no.33859 (engraved on the bottom side), film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette, with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, in very good condition and working order, with second film magazine, instructions and maker's box Estimate: EUR 800 - EUR 1,000 |
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| Nov 2020 | EUR 300 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 37 (Lot AI_37_38861) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
metal replica of John Player cigarettes packet, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding 'cigarettes', with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling a protruding cigarette, 3.5/23mm Industar lens, with maker's box and certificate Estimate: EUR 600 - EUR 800 |
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| Jun 2020 | EUR 1,300 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 36 (Lot AI_36_38354) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
metal replica of John Player cigarettes packet, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding 'cigarettes', with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body no.43949 (engraved on the side with special number C0102), film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette, with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, excellent condition Estimate: EUR 1,200 - EUR 1,400 |
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| Nov 2018 | EUR 650 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 33 (Lot AI_33_36553) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
metal replica of John Player cigarettes packet, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding 'cigarettes', with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette, with 3.5/23mm Industar lens Estimate: EUR 500 - EUR 600 |
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| Mar 2018 | EUR 450 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 32 (Lot AI_32_36124) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
metal replica of John Player cigarettes packet, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding 'cigarettes', with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette, with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, original maker's box Estimate: EUR 500 - EUR 600 |
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| Nov 2016 | EUR 380 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 30 (Lot AI_30_34282) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
consisting of a metal replica of a pack of John Player cigarettes, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding "cigarettes", with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette; with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, original maker's box and leaflet Estimate: EUR 500 - EUR 700 |
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| Nov 2016 | EUR 750 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 29 (Lot AI_29_33553) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
consisting of a metal replica of a pack of John Player cigarettes, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding "cigarettes", with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette; with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, with large cigarette box containing instruction leaflet Estimate: EUR 500 - EUR 700 |
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| May 2009 | EUR 200 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 15 (Lot AI_15_18665) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
consisting of a metal replica of a pack of John Player cigarettes, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding "cigarettes", with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body no.9235871, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette; with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, with large cigarette box containing instruction leaflet and film Estimate: EUR 350 - EUR 450 |
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| Jun 2008 | EUR 320 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 13 (Lot AI_13_16731) Title: Kiev John Player Special Spy Camera
Description:
consisting of a metal replica of a pack of John Player cigarettes, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding "cigarettes", with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette; with 3.5/23mm Industar lens, with large cigarette box containing instruction leaflet Estimate: EUR 350 - EUR 450 |
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| Nov 2006 | EUR 350 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 10 (Lot AI_10_15578) Title: Kiev John Player Spy Camera
Description:
consisting of a metal replica of a pack of John Player cigarettes, with small opening for lens, irregularly protruding "cigarettes", with Kiev 303 16mm subminiature camera body, film is transported by pulling protruding cigarette; with 3.5/23mm Industar lens. With large cigarette box containing an extra film cassette and instruction leaflet. Ex Spira Collection. Estimate: EUR 250 - EUR 350 |
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| Nov 2005 | EUR 265 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 8 (Lot AI_8_25503) Title: Kiev 'John Player Special'
Description:
spy camera for 13x17mm exposures on 16mm film, the mechanism is a Kiev 303, camouflaged as JPS cigarette packet, with guarantee card, box Estimate: EUR 350 - EUR 450 |
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| Nov 2004 | EUR 333 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 6 (Lot AI_6_23988) Title: Kiev John Player Special
Description:
secret camera with Kiev 303 mechanism camouflaged as JPS cigarette packet, original maker's box Estimate: EUR 200 - EUR 300 |
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| May 2003 | EUR 417 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 2-3 (Lot AI_2_21574) Title: Kiev JPS cigarette camera
Description:
16mm, camera disguised as a John Player Special cigarette packet, original version with enamelled metal body Estimate: EUR 1,970 - EUR 4 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Kiev John Player Special worth today?
Recent UK auction hammer results place its value between roughly £350 and £700, with clean examples clustering near the upper end of that range.
How much does a Kiev John Player Special sell for at auction?
The three recorded UK hammer sales are £350, £650 and £700, giving a median price of about £650 before buyer's premium.
Why does the John Player Special livery affect the price?
The camera is collected primarily for its branded black-and-gold finish, so cosmetic condition of that livery is the main factor in what it sells for.
Is the Kiev John Player Special a practical user camera?
It is a 35mm rangefinder that can be used, but given the collector premium on the finish most buyers keep it as a display piece rather than a working camera.