An extremely rare and operational Nazi Enigma encryption machine, famously cracked by Allied codebreakers during World War II, has sold for nearly half a million euros in Paris, double its expected price, auction house Christie's said Wednesday.

Based on keys and complex rotor systems, Enigma machines were used by the Germans for encrypted communication during the war, initially beyond the decoding capabilities of Allied intelligence services.

The Enigma M4 sold in Paris was a new, even more sophisticated version ordered by German Admiral Karl Doenitz in 1941 for communication with his submarine fleet as the Nazis attempted to blockade Britain.

Enveloped in a wooden case and featuring a keyboard and four rotors, it sold for 482,600 euros ($556,900) to an unidentified buyer on Tuesday in

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