Apple Computer Check Signed by Steve Jobs Sells for $46,000

[MacRumors]

A check signed by former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs sold for $46,063 at auction this week. Issued by "Apple Computer Company" in 1976, the $4.01 check was made out to electronics retailer RadioShack.

Jobs filled out the check on July 23, 1976, which was the time that he and Steve Wozniak were working on the Apple-1 computer. The two produced approximately 200 Apple-1 machines, 50 of which were sold to The Byte Shop in July 1976 and retailed for $666.66.

The RadioShack check lists a Palo Alto address for an answering service and mail drop off point that Jobs used while Apple was being run out of his parents' garage.

RR Auction expected the check to sell for at least $25,000, but it sold for more. Apple and Steve Jobs memorabilia has been fetching higher and higher prices in recent years.

Another check signed by Steve Jobs was put up for auction this week by Sothebys, and it too could sell for upwards of $40,000. The check predates Apple's April 1, 1976 founding date as it was written on March 28, 1976. It is one of a handful of checks issued to Jobs and Wozniak ahead of when they received their custom-printed Apple Computer Company checkbook.

Article Link: Apple Computer Check Signed by Steve Jobs Sells for $46,000

 

[Little Endian]

Wondering what Steve bought for $4.01 back on that day.

 

[acctman]

Wondering what Steve bought for $4.01 back on that day.

Probably some circuits or capacitors

 

[DocMultimedia]

I'd have gone up to 30k. But others had more. I owe my retirement to AAPL. 😀

 

[spaxxedout]

$4.01 in 1976 is equivalent to $193,921.82 in today’s money, so not a great deal.

 

[zorinlynx]

I love how you can tell it went through the old school physical check clearing process that went away sometime in the last 30 years.

Notice the amount of the check printed in MICR on the right side; that would be hand entered by the bank you deposited the check at, their machine would print that, then it would be sent off to the clearinghouse where the rest of the process was handled mostly by machines.

We've really come a long way; checks are pretty much universally processed as EFTs now.

That said, I'm surprised this was actually worth $46,000 to someone. I guess it was some extremely rich person for whom that is pocket change.

 

[zorinlynx]

Wondering what Steve bought for $4.01 back on that day.

Also, can you imagine writing a physical check for $4.01 these days? It would be absurd.

 

[macfacts]

$4.01 in 1976 is equivalent to $193,921.82 in today’s money, so not a great deal.

How do you get $193,921? Inflation calculator says about $22.

 

[now i see it]

It’s odd how this old stuff trickles into the auction houses every few months

 

[Starscape]

Those people are nuts.

 

[AppliedVisual]

It’s odd how this old stuff trickles into the auction houses every few months

My family thinks I’m a pack-rat and that I keep too many things... What I’m really doing is laying the foundation for a secondary income stream my family can tap into after I become famous and die.

 

[KENESS]

How do you get $193,921? Inflation calculator says about $22.

He was joking.

 

[sjsharksfan12]

I live close to that bank. Small world.

 

[cicalinarrot]

A check signed by former Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs sold for $46,063 at auction this week. Issued by "Apple Computer Company" in 1976, the $4.01 check was made out to electronics retailer RadioShack.

Jobs filled out the check on July 23, 1976, which was the time that he and Steve Wozniak were working on the Apple-1 computer. The two produced approximately 200 Apple-1 machines, 50 of which were sold to The Byte Shop in July 1976 and retailed for $666.66.

The RadioShack check lists a Palo Alto address for an answering service and mail drop off point that Jobs used while Apple was being run out of his parents' garage.

RR Auction expected the check to sell for at least $25,000, but it sold for more. Apple and Steve Jobs memorabilia has been fetching higher and higher prices in recent years.

Another check signed by Steve Jobs was put up for auction this week by Sothebys, and it too could sell for upwards of $40,000. The check predates Apple's April 1, 1976 founding date as it was written on March 28, 1976. It is one of a handful of checks issued to Jobs and Wozniak ahead of when they received their custom-printed Apple Computer Company checkbook.

Article Link: Apple Computer Check Signed by Steve Jobs Sells for $46,000

Most comments be like “oH nO tHaT’s ToO mUcH, i DeCiDe ThE vAlUe Of ThInGs”

 

[fhall1]

Probably some circuits or capacitors

Circuits aren’t something you bought at Radio Shack

 

[CarAnalogy]

$4.01 in 1976 is equivalent to $193,921.82 in today’s money, so not a great deal.

This must be according to ChatGPT.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Those people are nuts.

It's only money. and not a lot at that, compared to many other hobbies.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I’m curious to know what the ownership history of this check is. Obviously, once written, it was the property of Radio Shack, but did they ever cash it? Did the store owner recognize its potential value and stash it away without cashing it? An employee wouldn’t have had any legal right to it. If cashed, did someone at the bank have a right to ownership?

 

[adepew]

I actually like that the check resembles a real American currency bill. Pretty neat.

 

[zorinlynx]

I’m curious to know what the ownership history of this check is. Obviously, once written, it was the property of Radio Shack, but did they ever cash it? Did the store owner recognize its potential value and stash it away without cashing it? An employee wouldn’t have had any legal right to it. If cashed, did someone at the bank have a right to ownership?

No. Back then, when the recipient of a check deposited it, the check went through the clearing process. The bank where it was deposited processed it, then it went to a clearinghouse, then to the bank the check was issued from. The funds were transferred through this process, then the original check was returned to the entity who wrote it, in this case it would be the accounting department at Apple.

So someone at Apple got a hold of it at some point, and eventually it made its way to auction.

These days it works differently, where checks are deposited via EFT and never have to leave the hands of whoever received the payment. But back then, every check you wrote would come back to you. (or your company)

 

[Macalway]

Circuits aren’t something you bought at Radio Shack

They had OP amps, lots of stuff. I'm not sure what you are saying. Though over the years less and less. LOL

 

[Lifeisabeach]

Circuits aren’t something you bought at Radio Shack

Yeah. Seems there was a City you could get those at...

 

[japanime]

I live close to that bank. Small world.

That's in the lot next to Stanford Shopping Center, right? Is the bank still there?

 

[japanime]

No. Back then, when the recipient of a check deposited it, the check went through the clearing process. The bank where it was deposited processed it, then it went to a clearinghouse, then to the bank the check was issued from. The funds were transferred through this process, then the original check was returned to the entity who wrote it, in this case it would be the accounting department at Apple.

So someone at Apple got a hold of it at some point, and eventually it made its way to auction.

These days it works differently, where checks are deposited via EFT and never have to leave the hands of whoever received the payment. But back then, every check you wrote would come back to you. (or your company)

And at the end of the month, spouses would sit at the kitchen table and go through them one by one to balance the checkbook and argue about who was spending too much money 🤣

 

[svish]

Quite a high amount!