Almost $700,000 was paid at auction for a verified Apple-1 Computer prototype from the middle of the 1970s.
According to a statement released by Boston-based RR Auction, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs used the prototype in 1976 to show the Apple-1 to Paul Terrell, the proprietor of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California, one of the first retail locations for personal computers worldwide.
According to the auctioneer, the winning offer of $677,196 was placed on Thursday by a Bay Area collector who requests anonymity.
According to Bobby Livingston, executive vice president of RR, “there is no Apple-1 without this board – it’s the holy grail of Steve Jobs and Apple memorabilia.”
The board has been compared to Polaroid pictures Terrell took of the prototype in use in 1976. Apple-1 specialist Corey Cohen also examined it and verified its authenticity; his 13-page report was notarized and included with the sale.
Before being presented to the seller by Jobs roughly 30 years ago, the prototype spent many years on the Apple Garage property.
