One of the world's first calculating machines will not go to auction as scheduled in Paris after a court provisionally blocked the historic item from export. Auction house Christie's confirmed it would not proceed with the bid for La Pascaline, developed by French mathematician Blaise Pascal in 1642.
Valuations suggested the machine could fetch between €2 to €3 million (£1.77 million to £2.65 million). Christie's described it as the most important scientific instrument ever offered at auction. Scientists and researchers made a legal appeal for heritage protections, arguing it should be classified as a national treasure.
At just 19 years old, Pascal invented the earliest version of a calculator, with only nine such machines known to still exist. The official collection description states, It is the first attempt in history to substitute the human mind with a machine, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of technology.
La Pascaline was previously exhibited at Christie's venues in New York and Hong Kong. The piece was part of an auction of the late Catalonia collector Léon Parcé's library, which also included Pascal's philosophical work, Pensées, and the first printed version of Pascal's wager.
On Wednesday, a Paris administrative court temporarily blocked an earlier export authorization provided by France's culture minister. The judge cited serious doubts about the legality of the certificate. A Christie's spokesperson noted that, due to the provisional nature of the court's decision, the sale of La Pascaline would be suspended.
The court's ruling indicates that La Pascaline's historic and scientific value could qualify as a national treasure, providing potential protections under France's heritage laws. The French heritage group, Association Sites & Monuments, welcomed the decision.
with additional reporting by Sebastian Usher, Global Affairs reporter
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