Newly-discovered Steve Jobs autographs to feature in new auction

The event is being hosted online by RR Auction’s Remarkable Rarities, with the bidding having opened on September 4th, 2024. Both of the Jobs-signed items are from the very early years of Apple.

The first is a handwritten company check, dated July 16th, 1976, and signed by Jobs. It was written to Elmar Electronics, for the amount of $10.52.

Check signed by Steve Jobs, written to a local electronics supplier.

A different Apple Computer check, also signed by Jobs, was made out to Radio Shack for $4.01 on July 23rd of that same year sold at auction in late 2023 for $46,063. RR Auctions estimates the new check will fetch at least $25,000, though as of September 14 at 10 AM ET, it currently stands at $12,650 after 14 bids.

The other item in the new auction is a cassette tape, also signed by Jobs, which served as an early way to store and retrieve data with the Apple II computer. This is first known example of a cassette tape with Jobs’ signature.

Apple II cassette tape, also signed by Steve Jobs.

Presently, the autographed cassette has a top bid of $2,383 after eight bids. The auction house expects it fetch at least $10,000.

While primitive by today’s standards, the cassette interface system — designed by Steve Wozniak — was a big advance in early Apple computing. It was four times faster at storing or retrieving data than competing systems at the time, at a lower cost.

The auction will close to bidding on September 28th.