Exceptionally rare, working Apple-1 up for auction
An exceptionally rare and fully functional “Hatfield” Apple-1 Computer will go up for auction at Bonhams next month, with an estimated value up to $800,000.
It is one of under 75 surviving Apple-1 computers and one of the very few that remain operational today. The iconic machine is signed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and is accompanied by a letter signed by Steve Jobs to the computer’s original owner, Fred Hatfield.
Originally purchased by Computer Data Systems employee Fred Hatfield during the earliest days of Apple, the “Hatfield” Apple-1 Computer is No. 48 on the Apple-1 Registry.
Built in 1976 by Steve Wozniak, the Apple-1 helped usher in a new era of computing as one of the first computers sold with a fully assembled motherboard and integrated video output, making it significantly more accessible and user-friendly than competing microcomputers of the period.
The accompanying 1978 letter from Steve Jobs to Hatfield authorized a trade-in upgrade to the newly released Apple II after Hatfield wrote to Apple regarding the limited software available for the Apple-1.
Although Hatfield ultimately declined the offer and retained the computer, the correspondence provides a rare glimpse into Apple’s formative years, when Jobs and Wozniak remained personally involved in every aspect of the business, from product development to customer support.
Bonhams forthcoming History of Science, Technology & Computing sale will also feature several other Apple-related highlights, including an Apple Lisa 1 Microcomputer, an Apple Paladin prototype, a clear plastic prototype Apple Macintosh Portable with carrying case.
But my personal favorite is an original Apple pirate flag featuring an eyepatch Apple logy by Susan Kare. “It’s better to be a pirate than to join the navy.”
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