An Apple-1 Computer prototype from the mid-1970s sold at auction on Thursday for a whopping $677,196 USD in Boston, Massachusetts (via CP24).
A Bay Area collector who wishes to remain anonymous is the new owner of the prototype. According to RR Auction, the auction house that arranged the sale, this unit has some pretty rich provenance.
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs used this very prototype board in 1976 to demonstrate the Apple-1 to Paul Terrell, owner of The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California. The Byte Shop is widely regarded as one of the first personal computer stories in the world.
“There is no Apple-1 without this board — it’s the holy grail of Steve Jobs and Apple memorabilia,” said Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction.
Polaroid photographs taken by Terrell during his 1976 meeting with Jobs showcase this prototype in use. It was also authenticated by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen.
Cohen is a renowned Apple-1 specialist. He has authenticated several Apple-1 computers that have been sold over the years, and he also evaluated and restored another Apple-1 unit that was auctioned off in 2020.
Jobs reportedly gave this prototype board to the seller about 30 years ago. Until then, it had been sitting in the infamous Apple Garage property.
