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The Apple-1 is expected to fetch between £50,000 and £80,000.
The 1976 machine will be auctioned off within Christie’s Travel, Science and Natural History sale in London on October 9th.
“This is the computer that started Apple, now recognised as the most valuable company in the world; its significance in making computer technology accessible for all cannot be undervalued,” commented James Hyslop, scientific specialist at Christie’s.
Ground-breaking at the time of its invention and intended to make technology more accessible, the Apple-1 consisted of a pre-assembled motherboard, representing a major step forward in the world of computing when all other examples on the market were bought as self-assembly kits requiring engineering prior to use.
Priced at $666.66, the first Apple-1s were sent to purchasers direct from the garage of Steve Jobs’ parents’ house. It is not clear how many Apple-1s were sold, but by April 1977 the price was dropped to $475.
It was officially discontinued by October 1977, after approximately 200 units were produced. It is estimated that less than fifty are still in existence today.
A public exhibition of the Apple-1, along with all other items in the auction, will take place between Saturday Oct 6th and Monday Oct 8th. The Auction will start at 10:30am on Oct 9th at Christie’s salesrooms, 85 Old Brompton Road, London.
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