What's an Intel 4040 worth?

On 1/8/2012 7:54 PM, Evan Koblentz wrote: > Perhaps quite a lot, but not $800,000. :) > > Ebay #190404561375

I googled 4040 and found the image all over the place, but the original was from a defunct (as of 2008) web site called www.theintelcollection.com A copyright notice on it was The Intel Collection (c) 2006 - Lee Gallagher that link is via: http://www.chipdb.org/member.php? action=showprofile&user_id=22 The image is interesting if it is actually of the chip because it has what may be a true intel working date for the date code. All of the other hits are using some other method, maybe a die number or sequence to track the part. the one listed is marked 7505, which would be near the first availability of the part. Someone on the Boing Boing comment picked up and says the ES indicates this is true. The engineering samples are rare, but not at this level. I'd think you'd need a 4004 or earlier part of some note to have anything approaching 10000 bucks (from me if I had it). I have seen a lot of NDA parts out there as outfits fold, and someone posts the junk boxes, so an NDA part (or maybe Engineering Sample) in and of itself is not that rare. However Intel was really going at the time this part came out, so it isn't as historic as a 4004 would be. That said, most of those parts were not for sale, so one wonders how a prototype or sample or early availability Intel part ended up in hong kong. which brings up the second point, if you want it, I don't think I'd be wiring or paypal'ing the money to Honk Kong, but rather flying first class (only probably $20,000) with cash in hand to purchase it and bring it back. Anyone know what other than the Intellec mentioned in the article that the 4004 was used in? Anything significant, early routers? other functions. That would push up the value if it was more significant in its use to advance Intel or the industry.