"Geek Week" returns to Sotheby’s New York this month as the auction house’s Science & Natural History Department brings forth items from its Natural History, History of Science & Technology and Space Exploration categories.
The highlights include a rare Ceratosaurus, historically significant Apple-1 computer and items from the personal collection of astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
Natural History
The leading lot in the Natural History category is a Ceratosaurus dinosaur skeleton measuring 10 feet, 8 inches long and 6 feet, 3 inches tall, along with a “virtually complete skull.”
Originally excavated on land in Wyoming in 1996 and acquired by the Museum of Ancient Life in Utah, it has since been acquired by fossil preparation company Fossilogic and mounted for sale.
It’s believed the dinosaur was a juvenile and lived around 150 million years ago. It’s one of four known to exist. The auction house has placed an estimate of $4 million to $6 million on the lot, and it has a current bid of $3.5 million.
Another highlight from the category is the “largest piece of Mars on Earth.” The Martian Meteorite, which Sotheby’s has estimated to sell for $2 million to $4 million, was found in the Kefkaf region of Niger in 2023 by a meteorite hunter, who then sent a small piece to the Shanghai Astronomy Museum for identification.
According to Sotheby’s, the meteorite (NWA 16788) is 70% larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth. Meteorites from Mars are incredibly rare, with only around 400 of the 77,000 officially recognized meteorites hailing from Mars. NWA 16788 represents around 6.5% of all Martian material currently known on Earth.
History of Science & Technology
An Apple-1 computer from the original batch of 50 hand-built by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak headlines this category.
Called the “Romkey” computer and described as the “finest operational Apple-1 in existence,” it last sold in 2015 at Bonhams for $365,000.
Sotheby’s has placed an estimate of $400,000-$600,000 on the lot with a starting bid of $300,000. The original batch of 50 units from which the Romkey example hails was ordered by Paul Terrell in Apple’s first big sale.
Terrell, who owned the Byte Shop computer retailer and saw a demo of the computer at the Home Brew Computer Club, ordered 50 computers for $500 each. Since 2000, there have been 43 successful auctions of Apple-1 computers, with the record $945,000 paid for an example said to come from the desk of Steve Jobs last year at Christie’s.
Also included in the auction is the only known copy of the first electronic computer manual, the manual for the BINAC (Binary Automatic Computer), which was the first stored program electronic computer to be sold fully operational in the United States.
The manual was written in 1949 by Joseph D. Chapline, who has been called the “Father of Technical Writing.” It carries an estimate of $30,000-$50,000.
Space Exploration
The only known complete run of 11 flown Apollo Robbins Medallions ever offered at auction, from the personal collection of Apollo 14 Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa leads the auction. It is estimated to fetch between $100,000 and $150,000.
Between 255 and 450 Robbins medallions were minted for each Apollo mission, meant to be flown as mementos by astronauts. They were minted in both silver and gold and made available for purchase only to astronauts. Many of the medallions include engravings with information including the mission insignias as well as the departure and return dates.
Sotheby’s is also selling a checklist sheet from the Apollo 11 Lunar Surface Checklist, accompanied by a typed and signed letter from Buzz Aldrin, who inscribed it “CARRIED IN EAGLE / TO THE LUNAR SURFACE.”
According to a letter of provenance provided by Aldrin, “If conditions arose where Neil Armstrong and I had to make an immediate lift-off from the moon, we would have referred to this sheet … The complete checklist for lunar surface activities was a vital document to the success of our mission. It provided information on steps required to operate equipment associated with the first lunar landing.” The lot carries an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible content.