Christie’s has suspended sales of its first computer due to an export ban that prevents it from leaving France, according to the French auction house. South China Morning Post.
The calculator, one of only nine surviving ones made by 17th-century French mathematician and inventor Blaise Pascal, will be auctioned this afternoon. But French scientists and researchers considered it a national treasure, prompting a court to order an export ban. Export certificates for the batch were issued in May; the new ban will prevent any buyers from taking them out of France.
The sale, part of the sale of the collection of the late Léon Parcé (1894-1979), a collector of books and manuscripts, is suspended at the request of the current owner until a final decision is made on the classification of the object. It is expected to bring in revenue of $2.3 million to $3.5 million.
The calculator is made of brass and wood with ebony accents. It is believed to be the only example of Pascal’s invention that remains privately owned – seven others are in museum collections, including one owned by IBM.
Pascal invented the device in 1642 at the age of 19 to help his father, then president of the Normandy Tax Commission, reorganize the province’s tax revenues. He later made about 20 finished calculators (also called Pascalines) before turning to other interests.
Pascal designed three versions of the computer: one for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; One for accounting; one for calculating distances. This particular calculator is the last and only example in existence.
“Pascaline is more than a simple mechanical object: it represents the first attempt in history to replace the human mind with a machine,” Christie’s wrote in a description of the lot.
A final decision on whether the calculator is a national treasure is expected to take several months.
