Original 1976 Apple 1 Computer in a briefcase
The motherboard remains fully functional and bears the clear signature of Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who designed and hand-built the hardware in 1976. The lot featured an original letter signed (in 1978) by Steve Jobs addressed to the computer’s first owner, Fred Hatfield, offering a trade-in upgrade to the then-new Apple II. The winning package included the authentic operations manual and a typed invitation to join the exclusive “Apple I Owners Club. Multiple original hardware components accompanied the motherboard.
An exceptionally rare, fully operational Apple-1 computer has sold at auction for $1.15 million – setting a new world-record price for a commercially released model of the machine that started Apple. The sale concluded after an intense, 28-minute bidding battle between two collectors, with the PC crossing the auction block during Apple’s 50th anniversary year. “We are delighted with this exceptional result for the ‘Hatfield’ Apple-1, one of the most important milestones in computing history. 48 on the Apple-1 Registry, the unit is one of fewer than 75 verified Apple-1 units known to still exist. Recently, the tech giant joined Nvidia at a $5 trillion market valuation, powered by ongoing global demand for its flagship iPhone line. Their breakthrough arrived when the Byte Shop – one of the world’s earliest personal computer retailers, based in Mountain View – viewed the working prototype inside the garage and placed an order for 50 units at $500 each. Reflecting on the birth of the Apple-1 in his memoir, iWoz, Wozniak detailed the breakthrough moment when the device’s architecture first came to life on Sunday, June 29, 1975: “I typed a few keys on the keyboard and I was shocked! I didn’t realize it at the time, but that day, Sunday, June 29, 1975, was pivotal.
The partnership behind Apple started in the early 1970s, when Jobs and Wozniak were introduced by a mutual friend.
It was an honor to offer Apple’s first product during the company’s 50th anniversary year,” said Ian Ehling, a director at international auction house Bonhams. Cataloged as No. What set this specific lot apart from other surviving examples was its pristine condition and extraordinary documentation. The multimillion-dollar sale serves as a reminder of Apple’s modest beginnings. The duo regularly attended gatherings of the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto, California, where hobbyists debated the emerging, untested idea of home computing. To fund their initial manufacturing efforts, Jobs sold his Volkswagen van, allowing them to assemble early circuit boards inside the garage of Jobs’ parents. It was the first time in history anyone had typed a character on a keyboard and seen it show up on the screen right in front of them. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.