HP 12C Prestige
The 12C Prestige, HP part F2233A, came out in 2008. It's a 12C Platinum of the 2007 kind dressed in the original 12C's gold-colored plate, so you get the classic look with the Platinum's RPN and algebraic modes, 400 program steps and 30 cash flows. HP Brazil's product page lists those same features, and the CFA Institute names it in its calculator policy. v1 of this site mixed it up with the 2011 30th Anniversary Edition, a separate limited 12C of 40,000 units that's RPN only. The quick tell is the ALG key: the Prestige has one. If you want the gold look and the Platinum's extras together, this is the model.
Good forCFA examCollecting
Spec at a glance
- Maker
- HP
- Type
- Financial
- Launched
- 2008
- Made
- From 2008
- Entry
- RPN or algebraic
- Display
- LCD
- Programmable
- Yes
- Built on
- The 2007 12C Platinum (F2231AA), with a gold-colored plate
- Memory
- Up to 400 program steps, 30 cash flows
- Entry
- RPN or algebraic
- Exams
- Allowed on the CFA exam by name (CFA Institute policy, January 2026)
- Also listed as
- HP 12c Prestige, HP-12C Prestige
Bench check
Power, memory, display and keys
- Battery and power
- CR2032 coin cells. The Platinum it's based on takes two in parallel; swap them one at a time to keep the memory.
- Memory
- Continuous Memory, as on the Platinum.
- Display
- The Platinum's 10-digit LCD, with the taller digits it introduced in 2003.
- Keys
- The Platinum layout, with RPN, ALG and equals keys and the gold f and blue g shifts.
- Original, reissue or clone
- A gold-colored plate like the 12C's, but with the Platinum's RPN, ALG and equals keys, which no plain 12C has. Some sellers call the 2011 30th Anniversary Edition a Prestige; that one is an RPN-only 12C with no ALG key.
Should come with it
- The box and the user's guide
Check the listing photos against this list, and ask the seller about anything you can’t see. A missing piece should come off the price.
What to check
No documented faults. Check the display and keys, and that it's a Prestige rather than a 30th Anniversary Edition or a plain 12C.
- 01ALG key: Look for RPN, ALG and equals keys in the photos. A gold-plate 12C without them isn't a Prestige.
- 02Display: Ask for a photo of the display switched on. Every digit should be complete.
- 03Keys: Ask whether every key registers once per press. No dead or doubled keys is what you want.
- 04Battery compartment: Ask for a photo with the door off. Clean coin-cell contacts are what you want.
- 05Box: Check the photos for the box and guide. A complete set is what a collector wants.
New to old calculators? The condition checklist covers battery corrosion, displays, keys and card readers, and RPN in one hour gets you typing on an HP.
Find one on eBay
We haven’t been through this model’s listings yet. Search eBay and run every listing through the checklist above. Ask for a photo of the display switched on, a photo inside the battery compartment, and whether every key registers once per press. Pass on any seller who won’t answer.
Search “HP 12C Prestige” on eBay ↗eBay searchCompare with
HP
FinancialHP 12C Platinum
- Launched
- 2003
- Entry and display
- RPN or algebraic · LCD
- Features
- Programmable · Keeps memory
$30–$50 typical ask
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FinancialHP 12C Platinum 25th Anniversary
- Launched
- 2006
- Entry and display
- RPN or algebraic · LCD
- Features
- Programmable · Keeps memory
$35–$50 typical ask
HP
FinancialHP 12C
- Launched
- 1981
- Entry and display
- RPN · LCD
- Features
- Programmable · Keeps memory
$15–$35 typical ask