Working Apple-1 goes under the hammer for millions
The 1976 computer is estimated at Bonhams to fetch between 500,000 and 800,000 dollars.
A working 1976 Apple-1 is being auctioned online at Bonhams until 14 October. The example, nicknamed Hatfield, bears Steve Wozniak’s signature and comes with a letter signed by Steve Jobs.
The auction forms part of Bonhams’ History of Science, Technology & Computing sale. Bids for the Apple-1 can be placed online between 4 and 14 October 2026. Bonhams estimates the proceeds at 500,000 to 800,000 dollars; this is an expectation, not a fixed sale price.
The computer is registered as Apple-1 number 48 in the Apple-1 Registry. According to the auction information, the device is in working order and is being offered with, among other things, a keyboard, cassette interface, manuals and supplementary documentation.
The lot also includes a letter from January 1978 signed by Steve Jobs. In it, owner Fred Hatfield was given permission to exchange his Apple-1 for an Apple II 4K motherboard, with an additional payment of 400 dollars. Hatfield declined the offer, allowing the computer to be preserved.
The Apple-1 was the first product of the company that later became Apple. Steve Wozniak designed the computer and Steve Jobs helped with its production and sale. The machines were initially offered as circuit boards in 1976, allowing users to add the components themselves and build the computer.
According to Bonhams, original Apple-1 computers are rare, particularly when they still function. Their value is determined not only by their age, but also by their provenance, technical condition, accompanying components and signatures. As a result, auctions of this kind concern both technology and cultural heritage.
The example was previously auctioned in 2013. The Apple-1 Registry records that 516,400 euros was paid at the time. Bonhams’ current estimate is of a similar order of magnitude, but the final price may be higher or lower depending on the number of bidders and the assessment of the documentation.
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The auction details and history of the example being offered have been confirmed by Bonhams and the Apple-1 Registry. The text does not present the valuation estimate as a guaranteed sale price.
- confirmed The working Hatfield Apple-1 is being auctioned at Bonhams from 4 to 14 October 2026. — Stated in Bonhams’ auction announcement. source
- confirmed The estimated proceeds amount to 500,000 to 800,000 dollars. — Bonhams gives this estimate. source
- confirmed The example bears a Wozniak signature and comes with a letter signed by Jobs. — Part of the lot description. source
- confirmed The example fetched 516,400 euros in 2013. — Mentioned in the Apple-1 Registry’s history. source
Editor's note
The auction, estimate, contents of the lot and previous sale are supported by evidence. The final auction price is, of course, not yet known.Sources
- The Apple-1 Hatfield Computer to be sold at Bonhams — Bonhams
- Apple-1 Registry — Apple-1 #48 Hatfield — Apple-1 Registry
- Rare Working Apple-1 Could Fetch $800,000 at Auction — MacRumors
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „apple-1 apple”
- NOS — „apple-1 apple”
- Het Parool — „apple-1 apple”