The Apple logo is historic, iconic, and now — in its physical form — up for auction. A pair of signs that originally graced the walls of the Cupertino company's headquarters are going up for sale in early June and are expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000. Both depict the beloved "rainbow Apple" mark that was in use from 1977 until the late '90s. The larger sign is made of foam and measures 46 by 49 inches, while the smaller is built out of metal-backed fiberglass and fits a space of 33 by 36 inches.
The subtle wear and tear on the signs and their history of being proudly displayed at Apple's HQ — craquelure and provenance, in the auctioneers' terms — will surely help push their price up. Though the bitten rainbow apple wasn't the very first logo used by the company, it was introduced shortly after its foundation and graced its most seminal products of the past century. Designed by Rob Janoff, the silhouetted apple includes a bite on one side to give it a sense of size and a multiplicity of colors to help humanize the company and "to emphasize Apple II’s unique ability to show images in color."