Steve Jobs personally footed the bill for Apple’s phone expenses in 1976, and the check he signed is currently up for auction.
Dated July 8, 1976, the check, payable to Pacific Telephone, carries the signature of Jobs and amounts to $201.41, anchoring it firmly in Apple Computer’s early days. It comes from “770 Welch Rd., Ste. 154, Palo Alto,” marking the first official address of Apple.
The highest grade of “GEM Mint 10” by PSA/DNA means the check is in pristine condition and carries significant historical value, signifying a crucial point in the development of personal computing. Before the technological upheaval initiated by the first iPhone’s launch on June 29, 2007, by more than thirty years, the check highlights a pivotal phase in Apple’s development.
The check is part of an upcoming auction from RR Auctions, part of the “Steve Jobs and the Apple Computer Revolution” collection. It concludes on March 21, 2024.
Steve Jobs’ autographed memorabilia have consistently drawn attention at auctions. In December 2023, RR Auctions also featured another check signed by Jobs, paying $4.01 to RadioShack.
Another notable auction was an iPad signed by Jobs along with an unopened iPhone, both sent as gifts.
Other memorabilia
Among the other notable items is a Steve Jobs signed Apple business card circa 1983. At most, five business cards signed by Jobs from any era have been authenticated by PSA/DNA.
Finally, the auction features a letter typed and signed by Steve Jobs in 1983, in which he declines an invitation to speak at an early keynote event. Dated April 1983, the document reveals Jobs opting out of a speaking engagement at Arizona State University’s ‘Computer Day,’ focusing instead on the upcoming launch of the Macintosh.