Announced a few months ago, the auction of the Pascaline, a calculating machine invented in 1642 by Blaise Pascal, continues to stir debate. And this Tuesday, November 18, ahead of the event hosted by Christie’s in Paris, we just experienced a new episode.
Requested by several heritage defense associations and individuals, the summary judge of the Paris administrative court announced the suspension of the implementation of the export certificate issued by the Minister of Culture in May 2025 for this object, which is described as the ancestor of calculators and of which there are only nine copies in the world.
Temporary decision
This Pascaline for sale is the only survey Pascaline that allows you to count feet, toes, and inches. In 1642, to help his father who was drowning in tax columns, 19-year-old Blaise Pascal invented the calculating machine. He developed the Pascaline, the first minicomputer before its time.
“Given its historical and scientific value,” the calculating machine was said by the court “to be likely to qualify as a national treasure,” which constitutes “an obstacle to the issuance of an export certificate,” the press release said. This temporary decree, pending a decision on its merits, “prohibits departure from the Pascaline area.”
For now, the auction for the machine, under lot 74, is still being announced on the Christie’s website, as is the estimate for the property: between 2 and 3 million euros.
