Sotheby’s to Auction Apple Inc.'s Founding Contract from 1976

New-York based auction house, Sotheby's, is all set for a historic sale featuring contract papers that helped establish Steve Jobs' Apple register as a corporate body, back in 1976.

The auction, which is scheduled for Dec. 13, will also feature film scripts and books belonging to detective novelist Raymond Chandler and a letter by German author Franz Kafka, on the fact that he was experiencing writer's block.

There will be a total of 13 manuscripts and books up for auction on the day, also including a telegram announcing the sinking of the HMS Titanic in 1912 and a cartoon set from Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.

The Apple contract, for now, belongs to one of the company's co-founders, a Ronald Wayne, who gave up his share in the company soon after. Wayne, along with the former Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, signed the papers on April 1, 1976; the trio received a 45 percent share each. The auction will only feature Wayne's copy of the agreements.

Because of Jobs being so focused on in the news, and his accomplishments, it just seemed like the right time, Reuters quoted Richard Austin, the head of Sotheby's Books and Manuscripts department as saying, while discussing the significance of the auction.

People have been reminded of how important and how influential he is - someone who contributed to technology and to social history and had such a profound impact, he added.

Another highlight of the auction will be a one-page letter, written by former American revolutionary and President, George Washington.