The legendary Apple I computer, known among collectors as “Hatfield,” has been sold to an anonymous buyer at auction for $1,148,200. The device, released in 1976, originally cost just $666.60, making it one of the most expensive technological relics in history. According to the auction house, the sale was a landmark event as it took place on the 50th anniversary of Apple's founding.
Copy No. 48 in the Global Registry
The sold computer is one of only 74 confirmed Apple I units surviving to this day and is listed as number 48 in the global registry. It is particularly valuable because it remains fully operational — very few such machines have survived in this condition. The motherboard bears the personal signature of Steve Wozniak, and the lot included an original letter from Steve Jobs offering to trade the board for a newer Apple II model.
Intense Bidding and Record Price
The bidding was fiercely competitive: the final price significantly exceeded experts' preliminary estimates of around $800,000 due to intense rivalry between the final two contenders. For comparison, the previous sale of this exact unit in 2013 brought in $671,400, confirming the steady growth of this rarity's value on the collector market.
Original Accessories and Documents
The buyer received not just the board, but a complete set of original accessories: the first user manual, the cassette interface guide, an invitation to the Apple I Owners Club, as well as a compatible monitor, keyboard, and a customized power supply. Such a complete kit makes the lot practically museum-grade in terms of preservation.
Technical Context and Owner History
The first Apple model differed significantly from modern Cupertino devices: the computer was shipped as a bare circuit board, and buyers had to find a case, power supply, keyboard, and monitor on their own. It was powered by a MOS Technology 6502 processor with just 8 KB of RAM — enough to run Apple Integer Basic and a few games. The original owner, Fred Hatfield, turned down Jobs' upgrade offer at the time and later sold the rarity for $40,000, spending the money on vacation and leisure.
