Pre-Apple check by Jobs and Woz up for auction

AppleInsider

A check made out by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for components while creating the Apple I is up for auction alongside Jobs's handwritten advertising draft and other rare memorabilia.

Source: RR Auctions

Steve Jobs checks have been auctioned before, but this one now accepting bids on RR Auction, is only the second-ever check written by him and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. It predates Apple itself by some 13 days, and is a temporary check before their account was officially opened.

Dated March 19, 1976, temporary check number 2 is made out to a printed circuit board company for the amount of $116.97 (worth around $630 today). RR Auction says that it is a Wells Fargo check, 7.5 inches by 3 inches, and although temporary, it bears the same routing and account numbers as other early Apple checks.

It's believed that the check to Ramlor, Inc was for printed circuit boards that were to be used in the first Apple I computers.

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RR Auctions estimates that the check will sell for at least $50,000.

The auction is open until August 24, 2023, and comprises over 50 Apple-related items. As well as the check, there is a draft ad for the Apple I computer handwritten by Steve Jobs, and functional computers including an Apple I and an Apple Lisa.

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retrogusto

Weird check for so many reasons.
Would a check really require two signatures (and for such a low value)?
Why do the amounts not match? ($100.97 vs $116.97)
Would they really have written the cents as a fraction in the upper line rather than just the lower line?
Would they have written out “dollars” on the line that already says “dollars” at the end?
it also seems weird to me that the printed MICR numbers at the bottom don’t align with each other, with those at the far right matching one of the dollar amounts listed on the check (0000011697). But maybe there’s a good reason for that. 

chadbag

retrogusto said:

Weird check for so many reasons.
Would a check really require two signatures (and for such a low value)?
Why do the amounts not match? ($100.97 vs $116.97)
Would they really have written the cents as a fraction in the upper line rather than just the lower line?
Would they have written out “dollars” on the line that already says “dollars” at the end?
it also seems weird to me that the printed MICR numbers at the bottom don’t align with each other, with those at the far right matching one of the dollar amounts listed on the check (0000011697). But maybe there’s a good reason for that. 

Having been a finance clerk for several years at a church  (before online donations became a thing) and processing many checks for donations weekly, as well as having run a business that took checks often, and having written enough checks for a lifetime, none of these things are really that off.  

The encoded check value printed lower right is printed when the check comes in to aid in the automatic processing of it so often doesn’t line up. 

The written amount vs the number amount is an easy enough mistake.  I’ve done it myself many times.  

I usually write the cents on the number line as a fraction myself to avoid making it easy for someone to change the check value (it’s easy to turn a decimal into a comma).  And I’ve found myself sometimes writing “dollars” on the written line before the cents more than once. I don’t usually do that.  But have enough in my life.   Most of these things are to help avoid ambiguity.  

The dual signatures is probably because it was a joint business account and either they or the bank wanted it.  

chadbag

So this is not really a “pre-Apple “ check.  It is a temporary “Apple” check.   “Pre-Apple” implies the check is from a venture before Apple or before they organized the company.  It seems to be, from the description and the confirmation that all the numbers match later known Apple checks, a check from before they received the Apple printed checks.   Not a “pre-Apple” check. 

bloggerblog

Anyone wanna $117 cached check for $50k+

My bank refused to deposit a check when the written and digit values did not match. Another instance they told me they only consider the written number, if the numb er value is different.

chadbag

bloggerblog said:

Anyone wanna $117 cached check for $50k+

My bank refused to deposit a check when the written and digit values did not match. Another instance they told me they only consider the written number, if the numb er value is different.

Yes the bank should either refuse it or use the written out part and not the numeric part to determine how much to cash it for.  However people including bank tellers are lazy and it happens regularly that they just use the numeric part and don’t closely check them. 

FileMakerFeller

Interesting that Woz's signature hews closely to the line and Jobs' signature doesn't. Engineering vs creative?

jbdragon

Having written many checks in the past, the first thing I noticed is the amount written out didn't match the numbers.  I should have said One Hundred and sixteen dollars and 97/100 cents. or ninety-seven cents.  So 16 dollars just isn't there, Ops.    They were young back then.  How many checks did they ever write before then?  This check says it's #2.  

It's also strange that they both signed it.  They are both on the account, but really, only one of them needed to sign it.  Again, not used to dealing with checks.  It's all new to them.  I am curious who has the #1 check???  #2 is pretty good, but #1, their very first check for this new company they named Apple would be far more important and valuable.

chadbag

jbdragon said:

Having written many checks in the past, the first thing I noticed is the amount written out didn't match the numbers.  I should have said One Hundred and sixteen dollars and 97/100 cents. or ninety-seven cents.  So 16 dollars just isn't there, Ops.    They were young back then.  How many checks did they ever write before then?  This check says it's #2.  

It's also strange that they both signed it.  They are both on the account, but really, only one of them needed to sign it.  Again, not used to dealing with checks.  It's all new to them.  I am curious who has the #1 check???  #2 is pretty good, but #1, their very first check for this new company they named Apple would be far more important and valuable.

It’s possible that they set the account up so both have to sign it.  Some business accounts are elected to be set up that way so one partner can’t run off with all the money.   The yet to be delivered pre-printed checks may indicate that two signatures are required.  

Not saying it is like that as we don’t know but it’s very possible and not unheard of.