Pope Francis’ One-of-a-Kind Leica Sold for Nearly 100x Its Estimated Value
In September, it was announced that the late Pope Francis’ unique Leica M-A and Leica Noctilux-M 1:1.2/50mm ASPH would be auctioned for charity. The auction took place over the weekend and the camera and lens sold for €6.5 million (about $7 million), one of the highest charitable results ever achieved by a Leica camera.
The camera was originally gifted to Pope Francis’ by Leica Camera AG, who presented the camera and lens combination to His Holiness in 2024 in honor of his longstanding commitment to social and humanitarian causes. Pope Francis, who was from Argentina, died in March 2025 at age 88. Pope Francis was succeeded by Pope Leo.
In addition to being owned by the late Pope, both the camera and lens carry the serial number 5,000,000, which is a distinctive production mark that made it highly coveted by collectors.
“Both the camera and the lens bear the serial number 5,000,000. It has long been tradition at Leica to reserve such milestone serial numbers for exceptional pieces that are often presented to distinguished public figures,” explains Alexander Sedlak, Managing Director of Leica Camera Classics and Leitz Photographica Auction.
The item proved to be even more sought-after than anticipated, as the auction saw the camera climb to nearly 100 times its estimated value of €60,000 to €70,000 before the gavel hit. In fact, several advance bids pushed the value of the camera above the initial estimate even before live bidding began, and the auction house says high interest continued through the bidding process. In fact, Sedlak says that it was “certainly one of the most exciting bidding battles in our company’s history — and entirely befitting this extraordinary lot.”
The one-of-a-kind camera is finished in silver chrome, with a special white covering, and a white paint on the base plate, back doors, as well as some of the controls. The camera is decorated with papal engravings, too, including the flash cover that is adorned with the Keys of Peter and the back of the top plate which bears His Holiness Pope Francis’ motto, “Miserando atque eligendo,” meaning “lowly but chosen.”
“It was a privilege for us to offer this set as a charity lot, and we deliberately decided to waive the premium — the usual surcharge on the hammer price that goes to the auction house. The entire proceeds of 6.5 million euros will now be donated to His Holiness’s personal charity organization,” Selak adds.
Image credits: Leitz Photographica Auction