The prototype with which Steve Jobs launched Apple exceeded the amount expected by the auction house.
Almost a month ago, we reported on a rare Apple-1 prototype that, according to documents from auction house RR Auction, belonged to Jobs. And a few days ago it sold for over half a million dollars.
The auction was active for almost a month and on August 18, 2022, it closed its bids. And according to RR Auction, Apple-1 prototype sold for over 150,000 more than expectedclosing at $677,196.
In addition to this prototype, other pieces of the Apple brand’s history were also sold, such as a first-generation iPhone that fetched $35,000.
This is what the Apple-1 plate sold at auction looks like
Was it really a piece that belonged to Steve Jobs?
According to the information exposed by the bookmaker, the prototype in question belonged personally to Steve Jobs, and in fact, it is the same one that served to give birth to the history of Appleas it was used to pitch the idea to The Byte Shop owner Paul Terrell.
Despite documentation, the provenance of this Apple-1 has been questioned. The Mercury News reported that key witnesses, including Steve Wozniak himself, questioned the story of the play.
For its part, RR Auction subsequently refuted the US newspaper’s claims that the the plate that was being auctioned matched the polaroids that Paul Terrell took in 1976, with which he sought to demonstrate the functioning of the team at that time. On the other hand, the executive vice-president of RR Auction, Bobby Livingston indicated that:
In conversations with Paul Terrell, after reviewing the images, we both agree that he photographed this Apple-1 prototype when it was fully operational at The Byte Shop in 1976.
Polaroid that reliably demonstrates the authenticity of the prototype
It seems so it’s a piece of history
To back up RR Auction’s claims, Achim Baque, a subject who holds the Apple-1 record, He sent an email to the bookmaker in which he corroborated the idea that the board was the same one Jobs presented to Terrel nearly 50 years ago.
I have no doubt that this 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
In all cases, the auction company successfully sold the first Apple-1 prototype to a collector in the San Francisco Bay Area that he wished to remain anonymous longer than expected, proving that all documents were in order.
