Christie’s Paris suspended the sale of a rare Pascaline calculating machine, one of only nine surviving examples built by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, after a court-ordered export ban prevented it from leaving France. The device, expected to fetch between $2.3 million and $3.5 million, was part of an auction of the collection of late manuscript collector Léon Parcé. French scientists and researchers argued the calculator is a national treasure, prompting the ban despite an export certificate issued in May.
This suspension matters because it highlights ongoing tensions between private sales and national heritage protections in France. The Pascaline is the only known example of Pascal’s distance-calculating version still in private hands, with seven others held in museums and one owned by IBM. A final decision on its classification as a national treasure could take months, potentially setting a precedent for future disputes over historically significant scientific instruments.