Steve Jobs’ Memo To Atari, Working Apple-1 Computer, To Hit Auction Block Next Month

A few pieces of Apple history will be going up for sale next month at a Sotheby’s auction. A working Apple-1 computer, one of only 50 left in the world, and a memo Steve Jobs wrote to Atari, are expected to be the big money winners at the auction.

Computer World reports that Steve Jobs worked breifly at Atari before he founded Apple.

In 1974, Jobs wrote a memo to Atari, making a few suggestions that the company could make to improve its World Cup Soccer Game. The hand-written note by the then 19-year-old Jobs is expected to fetch more than $10,000.

The auction will also include an Apple-1 computer. Sotheby’s reports that there are about 50 Apple-1 computers left in the world, but only 6 are in working condition. Sotheby’s expects the Apple-1 to fetch around $150,000.

Christie’s sold an Apple-1 computer in 2010 for over $213,000 but that computer also came with a letter from Steve Jobs. According to Mike Willegal, an engineer who has identified and indexed 41 Apple-1 computers, said that the letter made the Christie’s computer even more rare, and therefore more valuable. Willegal said:

“This unit works, and is fairly complete with documentation and original cassette interface, so it should draw a pretty good sum… It doesn’t have a receipt with Jobs signature, so I don’t see it reaching the Christie’s number.”

Both the Atari memo and the Apple-1 computer could far exceed their estimates. Sotheby’s notes that in 2011, the original contract, signed by Wozniak, Jobs Ron Wayne to found Apple Computers fetched nearly $1.6 million. The contract had an estimated value of $150,000.

The auction is scheduled for June 15th.