An original handwritten advertisement for the Apple-1 Computer, penned entirely by Steve Jobs, sold for US$175,759, according to Boston-based RR Auction.

The historic artifact, a rough draft specification sheet for the Apple-1, bears Jobs’ full signature in lowercase print, “steven jobs.” It features contact information, including his parents’ home address and phone number—historically, the original headquarters of the Apple Computer Company.

Within the draft, Steve Jobs meticulously highlights the technical specifications of the Apple-1, revealing that it was designed to utilize a 6800, 6501, or 6502 microprocessor. He suggests that the 6501 or 6502 is recommended due to the availability of “basic” software. 

The document delves further into the onboard features, noting the Apple-1’s capacity for full expandability to 65K via an edge connector, housing 58 integrated circuits, including 16 for 8K RAM. Interestingly, the draft makes mention of “basic on the way (ROM),” a concept that would eventually materialize in the Apple II, rather than the Apple-1.

The price point Jobs cites in the draft is interesting: $75 for the “board only + manual,” which he deems a “real deal.” This price tag offers a snapshot of the early days of personal computing and the visionary stance Jobs adopted to make computing accessible to a broad audience.

Noted Apple historian Corey Cohen has confirmed that this handwritten advertising draft matches the original advertisement for the Apple-1, initially published in the July 1976 edition of Interface Magazine. This marked the initial public step of Apple’s journey from a modest garage-based startup to its evolution as one of the world’s most influential and valuable corporations.

Alongside the draft, the auction package includes two original color glossy Polaroid photographs taken at The Byte Shop in Mountain View, California. These images portray a fully assembled Apple-1 computer board, accompanied by a keyboard and monitor. An Apple-1 computer screen is also displayed, showcasing an Apple Basic program. 

Annotations by Jobs on one of the photos provide an intimate glimpse, where he notes that the image is “fuzzy because camera wiggled.”

This sale also featured several other notable items:

° A fully operational Apple-1 Computer, signed by Steve Wozniak, fetched $223,520.

° A Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak Signed 1976 Apple Computer Check No. 2 fetched $135,261.

° The Bendix G-15, recognized as the first mini-computer, realized a price of $62,461.

° A factory-sealed first-generation 8GB Apple iPhone reached $55,999.

° A Nintendo Entertainment System with an unopened Super Mario Bros. Game Pak garnered $50,000.

The Apple, Jobs, and Computer Hardware auction hosted by RR Auction commenced on July 21 and concluded on August 24. For a comprehensive list of auction results, go to www.rrauction.com.



Article provided with permission from AppleWorld.Today