Steve Wozniak-signed Apple-1 motherboard could fetch $800,000 at auction

A fully functional Apple-1 motherboard signed by co-founder Steve Wozniak is anticipated to sell for up to $800,000 at an upcoming auction in New York City. The Apple-1, introduced in 1976, has only around 75 original units surviving, with only six still operational. The motherboard will be auctioned online via Bonhams New York as part of its History of Science, Technology & Computing sale, running from October 4 to 14.

Expected price range is $500,000 to $800,000, but experts predict it could draw substantially higher bids due to its significance in personal computing history. The Apple-1 motherboard is marked "Apple Computer 1 / Palo Alto. Ca. Copyright 1976," accompanied by an NTI stamp indicating its origin from the second production batch.

It features a MOS Technology MCS 6502 / 2977 microprocessor, 8KB of RAM, and three original Sprague capacitors, along with various ports and connectors for 1970s-era connectivity. The lot also includes original Apple-1 operation manual, preliminary BASIC user manual, cassette interface manual, invitation to join the Apple-1 Owners Club, and a letter signed by Steve Jobs from January 18, 1978.

The letter confirms the motherboard's trade-in authorization toward an Apple II 4k board for $400. Additional auction items include a 1977 Koyo TMC-9M monitor, custom power supply, Panasonic RQ-2102 Portable Cassette Recorder, and two ASCII keyboards - an original Apple model and another unspecified brand. This Apple-1 has previously sold for €516,461 ($671,000) at a Cologne, Germany auction in May 2013, originally bought by Fred Hatfield for approximately $700 in 1976.