The planned Christie's auction of a 1642 calculating machine by Blaise Pascal has been suspended after a Paris administrative court provisionally blocked its export, saying the device is likely to be classified as a national treasure. Privately owned and valued at €2–3 million, the Pascaline is considered the first functional calculator and is of major scientific and museum significance. The model on offer is a rare surveying version that computes feet, toises and inches. A final legal decision could take several months.
Christie's Sale of Blaise Pascal's 1642 'Pascaline' Halted as French Court Moves to Preserve National Treasure
The planned Christie's auction of a 1642 calculating machine by Blaise Pascal has been suspended after a Paris administrative court provisionally blocked its export, saying the device is likely to be classified as a national treasure. Privately owned and valued at €2–3 million, the Pascaline is considered the first functional calculator and is of major scientific and museum significance. The model on offer is a rare surveying version that computes feet, toises and inches. A final legal decision could take several months.
11:58 PM, 11/20/2025Culture
An auction of a 17th‑century calculating device known as the Pascaline, built in 1642 by Blaise Pascal, has been halted after a Paris administrative court provisionally suspended the export authorisation for the machine.
Christie's cancelled the sale that had been scheduled for 19 November after researchers and scientists petitioned the court to prevent the instrument from leaving France. The privately owned device is estimated to be worth between €2 million and €3 million.
The Paris Administrative Court said that, "in view of its historical and scientific value," the Pascaline is likely to be classified as a national treasure, a status that would prevent the issuance of an export certificate. The provisional ruling prohibits the machine from being exported while a final decision on the merits is pending.
Laurence Plazenet, director of the Centre International Blaise Pascal, said the courts had been "extremely effective in supporting the preservation of this object." She added that the Pascaline is "the first functional calculator in the history of mankind" and described it as having "primordial scientific value" and special museum-worthy heritage.
Plazenet urged the Ministry of Culture to formally classify the device as a national treasure. Such classification can enable tax incentives for patrons who contribute to the purchase, potentially encouraging French donors to assemble funds to acquire the Pascaline for a public collection.
Why this Pascaline is unique
Surviving examples of Pascal's machines are extremely rare: only eight from the same period still exist worldwide, plus a ninth made shortly afterwards. Six are held in French museums and two are in Germany.
The Pascaline that was offered for sale differs from most survivors: it is a surveying model capable of calculating linear measurements in feet, toises and inches. Other Pascaline variants were designed for decimal calculations or for accounting tasks, particularly monetary computations.
Depending on procedural deadlines and scheduling, the court's ruling on the merits could take several months. Meanwhile, the Pascaline remains in France under the court's provisional protection.