Bitcoin Forum

Hey guys, I'm highly considering purchasing one of those Casassicus coins, although I'm not sure how to use them
 Some of them have holograms, how do those work? Do you have to look at them from a certain direction? What about non holograms? Is there just a QR code or something, or an engraved private key?

I believe you peal the hologram destroying it, to reveal the private key in WIP format.

edit: little out of date lol mt-gox (https://casascius.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/coin-redemption-best-practices/)

No, no no!! Don't ever peel any cas coins!! Don't even handle them!! See Goods -> Collectibles (https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?board=217.0) for pricing, as they are almost always worth a lot more untouched/graded/unpeeled! :P

Hi, the casassius coins (or the other crypto coins) are like wallets, and this wallet has the private key witch is under the hologram. You can scan the QR code to real it. But this isn't a good idea, the coin will loose price if you peel the hologram. The coins that haven't hologram, haven't any QR code, no private address.

So... Coins without a hologram have no functional use except as a memoir/collector's item? No engraved private key? Nothing?

Yes, the coins without hologram are redeemed coins (user withdrawed the bitcoins) , or blank coins (coins that neved had a private key). Collectors like them too, had lower value, but not all the collectors can afford the price of a 5Btc.

to me they are simply collector pieces.  if you want to buy a coin with 1BTC loaded on them just to sweep the funds, just go to an exchange and buy the digital coins.physical coins will ALWAYS sell for more then the digital value loaded on them.  the only tim i can see that you might have to crack one is if you had something like the casascius 1000BTC and couldnt find a buyer.  they were relatively cheap in 2011 and when btc ran all the way up to $1000 per bitcoin you were sitting with a cool mil on your coin.  even then there was a buyer for them so really its a collector piece that like any other collector item can rise or fall in value based on supply/demand and a rise or fall in the value of the digital coin loaded on the coin.  my 2 cents on physicals.

It's really easy to use a Casascius coin, or any other nice physical coin: You buy it, store it safely (preferably in an airtight capsule) and look at how pretty it is :)

The only use they have is for the joy of ownership or as an investment. If you buy an unopened one then you're far better served keeping it unopened. Redeemed coins do have a value but at present it's way, way less than the premium a complete coin has.

For example a good non error 1 btc brass coin might fetch 1.3. If you open it up then you get your 1 BTC and the coin itself might make 0.1 if it's very nice.

You can reprint your own privately made address and assemble them with any hologram you want...or can find...

Generally the codes come in sheets precut in circles made to be printed on with laser/ink jet printers.

This is the safest way to use a physical coin

move topic>* discussion

Why should it be moved to bitcoin discussion? It's not about bitcoin itself, but of a good that OP has questions to ask about.

If you are not
A) offering to buy something with BTC
B) offering to sell something for BTC
you need to post in another section.

***side note*** if anyone has a 2011 or 2012  cas bitcoin, im buying all day as many as you have for 1.3BTC each   ;D