A fully functional 1976 Apple 1 is currently being auctioned on eBay, with 10% of the proceeds going to the fight to find a cure for ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
Dubbed the “Copson Apple I” after original owner and former Apple employee Joe Copson, the machine up for sale originally hit the auction block at Christie’s in 2012. The machine never sold, however, as bids failed to meet reserve.
While the exact dates can’t be confirmed, the Copson Apple 1, (designated as #22), is allegedly older than a unit (#70) that brought a record $905,000 at an auction last October, and is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
The unit up for auction appears largely unchanged from its initial 1976 manufacturing date, although there does appear to be an Apple 1 cassette interface added to the original board.
The Apple 1, previous listed as non-working at the Christie’s auction, has apparently been repaired, as it is listed on eBay as in working condition.
Also included in the auction are a clamshell case with a Datanetics keyboard, an era appropriate Sony television, and a replica Apple I instruction manual signed by Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.
The auction page states that 10% of the proceeds from the auction will go to the ALS Association – DC/MD/VA Chapter. The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit voluntary health organization whose sole mission is to improve living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig s Disease) and to find a cure for ALS.
There were a total of 200 Apple 1 computers built, starting in 1976. The initial selling price was $666.66, and did not include a power supply, display, housing, or keyboard.
As of this article, the eBay auction sits at a high bid of $20,600, with just over 8 days remaining.
