Controversial Apple-1 said to be owned by Steve Jobs sells for small fortune

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A rare Apple-1 prototype said to be personally owned by Steve Jobs has sold at auction for big money, according to auction house RR Auction.

Credit: RR Auction
Credit: RR Auction


The Apple-1 computer hit the auction block in late July, with bidding coming to a close on Aug. 18, 2022. It was expected to fetch at least $500,000.

According to Boston-based RR Auction, the prototype Apple-1 sold for $677,196. Other Apple memorabilia was also sold during the auction, including a first-generation iPhone that was sealed in its box and a tax-exemption card signed by Steve Jobs.

The Apple-1 computer in question is said to be the one owned personally by Jobs and presented to The Byte Shop owner Paul Terrell.

However, earlier in August, the provenance of the prototype Apple machine came into question. A report from Mercury News cited a few key witnesses -- including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak -- and cast doubt on the actual history of the Apple-1.

In a statement, RR Auction pushed back against those claims, stating that the board sold at auction Wednesday was matched to Polaroid pictures taken by Terrell in 1976.

"In conversations with Paul Terrell, after reviewing the images, we both agreed that he photographed this Apple-1 prototype while it was fully operational in the Byte Shop in 1976," said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction.

In an email to RR Auction, Achim Baque, who maintains the Apple-1 registry, also backed up the idea that the board was the one presented to Terrell by Jobs.

"I have no doubts it is the prototype presented to Paul Terrell. I have very detailed copies of the Polaroids and every little detail is the same. The 20+ resistors are all in the same position, angle and direction," Baque said.

The winning bid came from a collector in the San Francisco Bay Area who chose to remain anonymous, RR Auction said.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    I wish I would find one of these in my garage!
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 3
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,727member
    Apple's crack marketing team set the price for those beasts at $666.66. There are 66 verified Apple I boards as of today. (And a few more that are not yet validated.) The ones in best condition sell for nearly $1,000,000.00. If you had bought all 66, and kept them in mint condition, you could now sell them for about $66,000,000.00.
  • Reply 3 of 3
    Apple's crack marketing team set the price for those beasts at $666.66. There are 66 verified Apple I boards as of today. (And a few more that are not yet validated.) The ones in best condition sell for nearly $1,000,000.00. If you had bought all 66, and kept them in mint condition, you could now sell them for about $66,000,000.00.
    And If you had bought all bitcoins when they were new, and kept them, you could now sell them for … bla, bla…

    To me, the point to this story is: Steve is the 
    entrepreneurial tech legend of all times
    lolliverwatto_cobra
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