A Paris administrative court has provisionally stopped the planned auction and export of La Pascaline, the calculating device built by Blaise Pascal in 1642. The ruling follows a legal appeal by scientists and heritage advocates who asked that the instrument be designated a national treasure and protected under France's heritage laws. Christie's had prepared to offer the machine as part of the estate sale of Catalan collector Léon Parcé, alongside items including Pascal's Pensées and an early printed edition of his wager. The auction house said La Pascaline—one of only nine surviving examples—had been exhibited in New York and Hong Kong and attracted valuations in the region of €2–3 million. Christie's also highlighted the machine's historical importance, framing it as an early attempt to mechanize calculation. In May France's culture minister issued an export certificate for the object after two experts approved it; one of those experts was reportedly from the Louvre. But the court said there were “serious doubts” about the legality of that authorisation and issued a temporary injunction while it considers the case further. In light of the provisional decision, Christie's told AFP it was suspending the sale at the request of its client. The court noted that if La Pascaline were formally recognized as a national treasure it would receive enhanced protections under the heritage code. The French heritage group Association Sites & Monuments, which was among the applicants in the legal challenge, welcomed the court's move. A final judgment on whether the calculator will be barred from export or formally classified as a national treasure is expected after the court completes its review.
