The most unique Apple collectible being sold by LCG Auctions during this go-round is an award celebrating 20 years of employment with the company that was gifted to the consignor in 2020. According to LCG, the 20-year award is particularly rare, especially when compared to the more commonly seen 10-year award.
Listed with a starting bid of $2,500, the award is made of aluminum and weighs 7.6 pounds with a seven-square-inch footprint while running two inches deep. It comes with the original box and paperwork, namely a notecard from Tim Cook, plus a rundown of the process of creating the physical award.
“Your 20-year award is made from the same 6000 series aluminum that we use to make our products,” reads the note about the production process of the physical award. “Remnants from the production process are collected and reformulated to create a 100 percent recycled, custom alloy. The alloy is cast into long ingots, then each ingot is sliced into blocks that are machined to the finished size. The surface is fine blasted and the edges are diamond-cut. The block is then dyed Space Gray and anodized to seal the finish and create a protective layer. Finally, a Space Gray stainless steel Apple logo is set into the center.”
Though not mentioned on the physical award, LCG notes that the 2000 to 2020 period it’s commemorating includes the original releases of the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, as well as the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs. The auction house estimates that it will sell for at least $5,000.