Adolf Hitler's personal telephone, which the Führer used to dictate many of his deadly Second World War commands, sold at auction on Sunday for $243,000, the US house selling it announced. Originally a black Bakelite phone, later painted crimson and engraved with Hitler's name, the relic was found in the Nazi leader's Berlin bunker in 1945 following the regime's defeat. The auction house Alexander Historical Auctions, which did not reveal the winning bidder's identity, had estimated its worth between $200,000 and $300,000. It said Hitler used it to give most of his orders during the last two years of the Second World War. Rayner's son, who inherited the phone, put it up for sale, its paint now peeling to reveal the original synthetic black resin surface.

Source: The Local February 20, 2017 08:15 UTC