Some of the folks on this thread are members...
...incidentally, there's also a nascent "Rickenhackers" group, which is a safe haven for folks who mod their Rics and don't want to incur the wrath of the "thou shalt not mod your Ric" evangelists.
Really - the seller took it to Cash Converters!?!!
I have looked at it in various for-sale pages over the years, but it's simply too much money for it.
I think there were two of them made; slightly different.
I can report the Hakko is working - I just used it to create a "Hack-O-Sound" (name coincidence is coincidental!) stereo splitter box for use with Rickenbackers.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/680612456952121/posts/688267056186661
The pics with with my iPhone and were within minutes of each other, but the auto settings do seem to have a slightly darker setting for the pearl one popping out a bit more.
FYI the Hakko arrived today and it looks good (I've not opened it to check the daughterboard).
The ebay seller is rossharmon08 (Grosvenor Associates), which is who one of the online "how to spot a fake" videos mentioned and confirmed OK.