A working Apple-1, the first home computer ever released by Apple, is valued at $300,000-500,000 ahead of a sale at Bonhams San Francisco on October 22.
The lot is a hugely important piece of recent history, being one of the first 50 made by company co-founder Steve Wozniak in 1976.
 The Apple-1 is the first computer released by Apple |
Christina Geiger, director of Bonhams' books and manuscripts department in New York, commented: "It is a great privilege to be selling this Apple-1 at auction.
"It has exceptional provenance and condition. Moreover, it will be the first Apple-1 to be publicly exhibited for auction in the Bay Area.
"It is very gratifying to think of this computer returning to within 40 miles of its birthplace."
The founder of a Cincinnati-based computer club acquired the computer in 1980. He recognised its importance early on and kept it in a display cabinet.
It was tested in August by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen, who commented: "This is one of the best examples of a working early Apple-1 board that I have seen.
"The condition is unlike the other Apple-1 computers that have come up for sale before. This one has had no modifications ever performed or removed; even the screws on the power regulators aren't heat cycled."
The record for an Apple-1 stands at $667,960 for an example signed by Wozniak. It sold at Auction Team Brekker in Cologne, Germany last year.
Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about memorabilia auctions.
