Bitcoin Forum

Economy => Collectibles => Topic started by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 09, 2014, 01:36:47 AM



Title: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 09, 2014, 01:36:47 AM
Physical Bitcoin Certificates  by Bitcoin Suisse AG

https://i.imgur.com/joKpZHs.jpg

High quality Bitcoin Certificates (paper wallets) issued and produced by Bitcoin Suisse AG, a regulated Swiss financial intermediary, prodiving professional Bitcoin solutions to the market since 18 months.

Resistant to water, wear and tear, X-ray, Ultrasound, Probing, Tamper proof, Produced in offline (and off limits) environment, high quality random seeds for keys.
Denominated bills only sold loaded with the denominated amount. Generic bills (without denomination) can be purchased unloaded.

Product Description: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/assets/pdf/BTCS_BitcoinCertificates_EN.pdf
Certificate 'How To' Guide: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/assets/pdf/BTCS_CertificateHowTo.pdf

Product Pictures:
http://schweizergeld.ch/banknotes-snb-shares-bitcoin/en/160-1
http://www.bonz.ch/24276/getphysical-bitcoinpaperwallet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BitcoinSuisse

Ordering: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/en/certificates/order/

Price: CHF 10 - or equiv. in BTC, EUR or USD.

Swiss Media:
http://www.nzz.ch/mehr/digital/xxx-1.18400637
http://www.handelszeitung.ch/unternehmen/technologie/bitcoin-zum-anfassen-digitale-waehrung-jetzt-als-geldschein-677264
http://www.bilanz.ch/digital/digitalwaehrung-offline-bitcoin-jetzt-als-banknote-392510

At the Zürich Money Museum:
http://imgur.com/pyruDyA


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 09, 2014, 02:06:17 AM
Looks interesting. What is the current equivalent price in Bitcoin of a generic unfunded bill?

EDIT: Googled currency conversion. So if I wanted to buy a 100 millibit bill, I would have to send you 100 millibits plus the equivalent of CHF 10 at the time of order?

CHF 10 currently equals approx. 10 USD for anyone else wondering.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 09, 2014, 02:11:23 AM
On the ordering page: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/CertificatesOrder, try to make an order.
You will then be directed to a confirmation page with a complete breakdown of the cost of your order, in the preferred currency and in Bitcoin.
NB. Be sure to select 'Bitcoin in 'Pay Certificates/Shipping via' ...

No order is binding or will be processed, until confirming it on the confirmation page - and clicking the confirmation link in the generated order email.

Currently at 345 USD/BTC, CHF 10 comes to some 0.03 BTC

EDIT:
>>So if I wanted to buy a 100 millibit bill, I would have to send you 100 millibits plus the equivalent of CHF 10 at the time of order?

Correct. Plus shipping. So if not based in Europe, perhaps order a few or order with some interested friends, to keep shipping costs down.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 09, 2014, 02:24:19 AM
Going to order a generic one now to give it a try. Had to switch to the laptop; when ordering on iphone, it semi-glitched when clicking confirm order on the email confirmation page.

International shipping doesn't seem bad at around $6 USD for a generic certificate, unless I'm missing something.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 09, 2014, 02:33:44 AM
>>ordering on iphone, it semi-glitched when clicking confirm order on the email confirmation page.

Thank you - we will look into that.

>>International shipping doesn't seem bad at around $6 USD for a generic certificate, unless I'm missing something.

All prices and conditions are available in the product description: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/data/BTCS_BitcoinCertificates_EN.pdf. Shipping is also quoted in your order, pre confirmation.
Yes - it is around USD 6 for a ordinary letter shipping, and twice that for a registered letter, and we can only provide replacement of lost shipments on the latter. We find these prices rather expensive when ordering just a single certificate, and regret this costs for our non Swiss customers.

If in a Bitcoin hostile jurisdiction, ask for shipping w/o our company name and logo on the letter.  


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Aezym on November 09, 2014, 02:34:13 AM
Physical Bitcoin Certificates  by Bitcoin Suisse AG

High quality Bitcoin Certificates (paper wallets) issued and produced by Bitcoin Suisse AG, a regulated Swiss financial intermediary, prodiving professional Bitcoin solutions to the market since 18 months.

Resistant to water, wear and tear, X-ray, Ultrasound, Probing, Tamper proof, Produced in offline (and off limits) environment, high quality random seeds for keys.
Denominated bills only sold loaded with the denominated amount. Generic bills (without denomination) can be purchased unloaded.

Product Description: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/data/BTCS_BitcoinCertificates_EN.pdf

Product Pictures:
http://schweizergeld.ch/banknotes-snb-shares-bitcoin/en/160-1
http://www.bonz.ch/24276/getphysical-bitcoinpaperwallet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BitcoinSuisse

Ordering: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/CertificatesOrder

Price: CHF 10 - or equiv. in BTC, EUR or USD.

Seems great!


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 09, 2014, 02:44:31 AM
Bought and confirmed via email 1 generic quantity Bitcoin certificate, I'm excited to check it out! Just waiting for the follow-up email with payment instructions to proceed. I will report back here when I receive it to let everyone know how it is. Was really wanting to order an 100 mBit certificate but don't have the extra BTC at the moment to send the 0.10 + product & shipping costs right now.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: kimosan on November 09, 2014, 02:57:34 AM
Ordered one of the generic certificates. Look forward to having it in hand.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 09, 2014, 03:01:33 AM
>>Bought and confirmed via email 1 generic quantity Bitcoin certificate, I'm excited to check it out!

Thank you!
We do not process orders on Sundays, but you will have your BTC invoice Monday morning - and we will ship immidiately after payment.

>> I will report back here when I receive it to let everyone know how it is.

We would be greateful if you do. So far, feedback from customers have been very positive. We will send along a demo certificate (marked "demo" - taken from those bills which failed quality control) which you can open. Opening a certificate intentionally destroys it, so this way you get a chance to see the inside, as well as the outside, without opening/destroying your own.
We will add a small amount of BTC to the demo certificate for you to sweep :-)

>>Was really wanting to order an 100 mBit certificate

Only 33 % are sold - they should be available for another two or three months into the future. We will not produce any more certificates of series #1 - but we do not rule out a series # 2, with a different design.



Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Pistachio on November 09, 2014, 03:23:29 AM
Placed an order for two 0.1BTC and two generic certificates. Can't wait for them to arrive, I'll try to post some pics when they arrive.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 09, 2014, 03:36:44 AM
>>Placed an order for two 0.1BTC and two generic certificates.

Thank you! Thank you all for the overwhelming interest! We'll process & ship your orders this Monday.
We'll look forward to your feedback once you receive your shipments. Rest assured - it is a high quality Swiss product! We'll be adding some demo certificates to some of the orders which can be opened & investigated.

For those who wonder (and in response to some emails):
The PKey is sandwiched between two layers of foil, behind the indicated and semi-perforated PKey field on the certificate, which must first be ripped open. It is covered by scratch-off covering, similar to a lottery ticket - and displayed both as a QR code and in WIF-format, ready for import/sweep by any bitcoin client / online wallet.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 10, 2014, 12:09:20 AM
Just received an invoice for my order from BitcoinSuisseAG, and paid. Really looking forward to receiving it and checking it out, it looked great from what I saw. And you can't argue with the fact that the Swiss are known for their secure money handling skills.  ;)

Order total was 0.04878 BTC (at current BTC prices) for 1 non-denominated Bitcoin certificate shipped internationally, not a bad total price at all in my opinion. I will definitely let you guys know how it is when I get it.

BitcoinSuisseAG- Could you confirm that you received my updated shipping details and that I paid my order in full?


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 10, 2014, 12:21:27 AM
Also, I would recommend posting some pictures of the certificates in your Original Post, as they look very nice and that may gather more interest from people checking out your thread. Like this (Hit the quote post button to see or click the little "picture" button above the text area):

http://schweizergeld.ch/img/shop/5/CH-BC-10.000-2014-1.jpg


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 10, 2014, 12:28:59 AM
>>Bought and confirmed via email 1 generic quantity Bitcoin certificate, I'm excited to check it out!

Thank you!
We do not process orders on Sundays, but you will have your BTC invoice Monday morning - and we will ship immidiately after payment.

>> I will report back here when I receive it to let everyone know how it is.

We would be greateful if you do. So far, feedback from customers have been very positive. We will send along a demo certificate (marked "demo" - taken from those bills which failed quality control) which you can open. Opening a certificate intentionally destroys it, so this way you get a chance to see the inside, as well as the outside, without opening/destroying your own.
We will add a small amount of BTC to the demo certificate for you to sweep :-)


>>Was really wanting to order an 100 mBit certificate

Only 33 % are sold - they should be available for another two or three months into the future. We will not produce any more certificates of series #1 - but we do not rule out a series # 2, with a different design.



Also, read this last night and forgot to say thank you! It would be great to be able to look at the inner workings without having to destroy mine! I only wish all the makers of physical crypto coins could do this as well!  :D

Now I am very excited to get my order!

-snarlpill


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 10, 2014, 12:46:58 AM
>>BitcoinSuisseAG- Could you confirm that you received my updated shipping details

No - you likely sent it directly to one of our employees, which was not the person writing right now. And since it is 02:00am here i the Alps, this person is sleeping. Use info@bitcoinsuisse.ch for company wide reach around the clock.

>>and that I paid my order in full?

Yes - that we can confirm!

>>Also, read this last night and forgot to say thank you!

Our pleasure!

>>Also, I would recommend posting some pictures

An excellent suggestion. Done! Thank you.

>>can't argue with the fact that the Swiss are known for their secure money handling skills.

Brokerage, Consulting & Wealth management outside the traditional banking/financial system is core business focus. Operating a pan-Swiss BTC ATM network is what we are perhaps most known for.
The Certificates are thus not our core business, but nevertheless they are produced with proper Swiss care and quality standards. Yes - we are extremely careful in all matters regarding privacy and security, client funds, customer service and quality control, continuing the Swiss tradition.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 11, 2014, 08:28:41 PM
All orders mentioned above were shipped today! :-)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 12, 2014, 12:55:24 AM
While trivial information for most Bitcoin users, we have written this HowTo for our certificates: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/data/CertificateHowTo.pdf

Might prove useful, even for Bitcoin enthusiasts, if passing along the Certificates as presents to non-BTC-savvy friends and family.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 15, 2014, 12:24:47 AM
We hear that the first BitcoinTalk client has now received his certificates! We hope for a review :-)

And we hear that 4 certificates were used as partial payment in Colombo, Sri Lanka - for a large furniture deal.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 15, 2014, 01:04:48 AM
^ Great news on both parts, Congratulations!

It wasn't me, but that means mine should be here any day now! I can't wait to receive it and check out the "test" certificate also! I will definitely post a picture and review when I have the chance and time. I have also purchased several physical bitcoins and other cryptos recently, and I can't wait to add this cool BTC certificate to that collection! I'm somewhat surprised at the low BTCtalk activity so far, but I think that will definitely grow overtime as you become more trusted and people start seeing/receiving more product. I for one will definitely be buying a funded certificate (I ordered a non-denominational "empty" certificate) in the very near future! I think these would probably be great for Christmas presents for getting friends and family into Bitcoin as well.

On a side note- I must say the communication/customer service during the ordering process was top notch so far; always a great thing.

-snarlpill


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Pistachio on November 15, 2014, 01:55:16 AM
Arrived in good packing with a letter to confirm proof of purchase. I will need to call on Monday to have the two 100 mBTC certificates verified and loaded. Here are a few pictures including a Demo certificate I opened. These are very high quality. You can see the different security features in the pictures. I would feel more secure accepting one of these certificates than one of the more common peel off hologram stickers. I plan to order a few of the 500 mBTC and 1BTC certificates next, but I will need to save up for the 10BTC :P.

http://s3.postimg.org/4zi4itasf/IMG_7944.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/4zi4itasf/) http://s3.postimg.org/5auzhu1un/IMG_7945.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5auzhu1un/) http://s3.postimg.org/5xtw7cyqn/IMG_7948.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5xtw7cyqn/) http://s3.postimg.org/5z3u0s0kf/IMG_7949.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/5z3u0s0kf/) http://s3.postimg.org/l44jc1e5b/IMG_7950.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/l44jc1e5b/) http://s3.postimg.org/6m7c41mu7/IMG_7951.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/6m7c41mu7/) http://s3.postimg.org/me2cr37xb/IMG_7952.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/me2cr37xb/) http://s3.postimg.org/knjbplqe7/IMG_7953.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/knjbplqe7/) http://s3.postimg.org/54lvshi3j/IMG_7954.jpg (http://postimg.org/image/54lvshi3j/)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 15, 2014, 02:21:14 AM
@Snarl
>>It wasn't me, but that means mine should be here any day now!

Letters to the US take time :/ Courier is much faster - but spending 60 bucks on shipping for a 10 dollar item makes little sense.

>>I will definitely post a picture and review

Thank you. We also included a demo certificate for you!

>>I'm somewhat surprised at the low BTCtalk activity so far

Well, the thread did generate quite a few orders. And we actually appreciate fewer quality customers to mass marketing. After all, this is a limited issue of a 10 dollar item - of which production costs and packing by high skilled and expensive labor makes it no business at all, but a labor of love.

>>I think these would probably be great for Christmas presents for getting friends and family into Bitcoin as well.

They are. The perfect honey trap for luring unsuspecting family and friends into the Bitcoin world.

>>On a side note- I must say the communication/customer service during the ordering process was top notch so far; always a great thing.

Thank you! We do our very best.


@Pistachio

Fantastic review and feedback!! Thank you!

>> I will need to call on Monday

We do have email here as well :-) But yes - our fault - the proof-of-purchase letters state only "calling". Originally this product was developed for the senior generation of Swiss citizens who were interested in exposure to XBT. This generation prefer business over the phone.

>>but I will need to save up for the 10BTC

Lets hope the 10 BTC certificates will soon be too expensive for anyone to hold :-)

PS. You posted a complete picture of a private key on BitcoinTalk! And we did of course put something on the DEMO certificates. How many nano-seconds will the funds remain there? :-)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 15, 2014, 04:29:00 PM
>>Any idea regular post takes to the US? I plan to move pretty soon but if the standard shipping is over 2 months I must wait to order.

We shipped 4 orders to the US Nov 11th. It was our first shipments to the US ever. As far as we know, none have arrived yet.
Studying the feedback from others who have shipped with the mail from Switzerland to the US, we find numbers between 6 and 20 days.

We should soon know, as the previous US bound certificates start to arrive.

Naturally the option exists for very fast shipments with couriers like FedEx - but this option is in our view too expensive for a small number of certificates.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 15, 2014, 08:32:06 PM
I got mine today! Just got off work and stopped at my (mailing address) house to grab it. That was Very Fast shipping from Switzerland to the U.S.! Shipped November 11th, received November 14th! And I just paid for standard shipping; didn't pay any extra for expedited shipping!

I still have to get home, get cleaned up after work, and do a few other things. So it will be probably a couple hours until I am able to post a review, but I am very excited and can't wait to open it and check it out.
Just wanted to post the good news about the amazing shipping time now! I will edit this post and add my review later!

-snarlpill


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 16, 2014, 06:41:32 PM
>>I got mine today!

Excellent! So we can assume that shipping to the US takes less than a week.
We'll be happy to hear from the rest of the BitcoinTalk orders as they start to arrive...


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 16, 2014, 07:09:42 PM
Here are some pictures I took of my received Bitcoin Swiss AG certificates, and a brief review as promised. I am not the best photographer nor have the best camera; they look even better than in my pictures.
EDIT: Some of the pictures weren't loading all the way for me when checking, so I made the pictures clickable links to the same pictures I uploaded.

http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertFrontSP2.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertFrontSP2.png)

http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertFrontSP.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertFrontSP.png)

Shown next to a USD $50 bill for size comparison. As you can see, the BTC Swiss AG Cert. is just slightly shorter in length and a bit taller.
http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertUSD50.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertUSD50.png)

http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertBothSP.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertBothSP.png)

A sweet demo certificate they sent with my order
http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertDemo.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertDemo.png)

The embossed Bitcoin logo
http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertEmbossed.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertEmbossed.png)

A close-up of the security hologram
http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertPKeyHolo.png (http://cryptoplanet.co/friends/SwissCertPKeyHolo.png)

The first thing I'd like to note in my review is how fast the international shipping was! My certificates were shipped from Switzerland on November 11th, and I received them in the U.S. on November 15th! (not the 14th as I mistakenly wrote originally)

I was slightly worried when I first saw the package, because they were sent in a regular envelope, not a padded envelope as I had been expecting. However when I opened it up, I saw that the certificates were packaged between layers of cardboard, and to my pleasant surprise they were in pristine condition!

I was happy with them at first glance. They are manufactured on a thick and stiff, high-quality certificate paper. All of the printing was nicely done, with no smudges of ink or anything of the sort. They look beautiful and very exquisite, and have the quality you would expect out of a Swiss financial product. There are several security features proving they are authentic Bitcoin Suisse AG certificates such as: an embossed BTC logo, a security hologram embedded into the layers of paper, and a unique serial number for each certificate. The security features remind me of some higher-value fiat currencies and payroll checks. They also come with signed official Certificates of Authenticity from Bitcoin Suisse AG, yet another "security" feature promising for a smooth re-sale or transfer in the future.

With the quality of the graphics and printing, they reminded me of a 'Bitcoin' stock certificate or bond. I fully believe they would make great Christmas presents and gifts for other occasions, whether wanting to get a friend or relative into Bitcoin, or even for those already into BTC. I think they would also be a cool thing to buy and hold, to pass onto grandchildren or other descendants sometime in the future. I fully plan on buying some funded certificates in the near future to hold onto or pass on to friends and family. I have already sent a little bit of BTC to my Generic non-denominated certificate.

Side-Note: They sent me the Demo certificate to open up and try sweeping the funds. I was going to do this to test it, but since Pistachio already opened his and posted the results, I think I might hang onto it as sort of a 'rare' certificate from Bitcoin Suisse AG.  :)
Or I might wait to open it until I give another certificate to someone as a gift, and then show them how it works on the Demo certificate.

Overall, I was very pleased with the whole experience from the great customer service when ordering, to receiving a quality finished product in a short amount of time. The only small recommendation I would make to Bitcoin Suisse AG is to buy custom-fit thin plastic sleeves to include over the certificate. I think it would be a nice touch, that could be added to the process without adding a lot of production costs, and it would be the equivalent of a physical BTC coin being sent in a plastic sleeve or airtite capsule for protection and handling. You know most of us coin nerds don't want to touch the product with our greasy and dirty human hands!  ;)
 


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 16, 2014, 09:21:46 PM
Thank you snarlpill, for taking the time to write such a long and thorough review!!
We are so grateful for the reception by the Bitcoin community - after all that is the ultimative test of any XBT-product. It is pretty clear to us by now that Series 1 will be sold out!
Allow us to respond to a couple of your points:

>>Shown next to a USD $50 bill for size comparison. As you can see, the BTC Swiss AG Cert. is just slightly shorter in length and a bit taller.

Exact dimensions, mintages etc are available in the certificate documentation: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/data/BTCS_BitcoinCertificates_EN.pdf

Also - your pictures show the certificates as true "white", likely because of the black/white background. In fact they are broken white / egg shell colored.

>>I was slightly worried when I first saw the package, because they were sent in a regular envelope, not a padded envelope as I had been expecting. However when I opened it up, I saw that the certificates were packaged between layers of cardboard, and to my pleasant surprise they were in pristine condition!

We are operating on a tight budget. But larger orders do get shipped in hard cardboard envelopes.

>>They are manufactured on a thick and stiff, high-quality certificate paper.

It is actually a very strong (and expensive) polymer paper, which is fully resistant to water & wear & tear. A grown man could not rip apart a certificate with brute force alone (however - do not try, as you will likely warp and distort the certificate).

>>All of the printing was nicely done, with no smudges of ink or anything of the sort

The printing was done on industrial printing equipment at a large printing facility in Switzerland - not on retail printing equipment. The final assembly and key generation, as well as packing and shipping was done at Bitcoin Suisse HQ in central Switzerland by trusted personnel - for security reasons.
We also do a manual quality control - and if faults are found, the certificate is removed from circulation and rebranded as a "demo certificates".

>>With the quality of the graphics and printing, they reminded me of a 'Bitcoin' stock certificate or bond.

Indeed - we did create them with the look of an old bank note / bond on purpose. Both as to not give regulatory authorities any excuse to wave their legal tender laws, but also because we are Swiss, that is, old-fashioned and conservative when it comes to the topic of money.

>>I fully believe they would make great Christmas presents and gifts

It is even in Christmas colors :-)
No - the red is naturally the Swiss 'red' - but they are indeed a great gift and and sure to bring the receivers closer to the Bitcoin experience, even if they had no prior exposure to Bitcoin. We see this already, as receivers of certificates come back to us and ask how to get invested in BTC. Btw - what US-based exchanges would you recommend? Coinbase?

>>The only small recommendation I would make to Bitcoin Suisse AG is to buy custom-fit thin plastic sleeves to include over the certificate. I think it would be a nice touch, that could be added to the process without adding a lot of production costs, and it would be the equivalent of a physical BTC coin being sent in a plastic sleeve or airtite capsule for protection and handling. You know most of us coin nerds don't want to touch the product with our greasy and dirty human hands!  

It is a good idea - and has been forwarded to relevant personel!
It should be noted however, that due to the polymer paper, the certificates take no damage from greasy hands or water. But they do not maintain their mint condition if folded or pulled with great force.
At BTCS, we each carry a few from the test series in our (classic) wallets, and take them up and down several times a day. After 6 months they have now some patina - but certainly show no sign of failing their purpose as a product, created with circulation in mind.




Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: MrKaizer on November 19, 2014, 09:39:14 AM
Is it possible to buy the Bitcoin along with the certificates, or must one load them by oneself?
- Kaizer


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: snarlpill on November 19, 2014, 01:33:13 PM
^ I believe when buying a loaded certificate, you pay for the certificate and the amount of Bitcoin to be loaded. Once delivered safely, you call/email Bitcoin Suisse AG and they send the BTC to the certificate.

Much the same process that most physical Bitcoin (wallet types) makers are using now.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 19, 2014, 06:22:55 PM
Is it possible to buy the Bitcoin along with the certificates, or must one load them by oneself?
- Kaizer

Yes. On our ordering page (https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/CertificatesOrder) you can select between paying for the "load amount" via a bank transfer - or by pre-paying the BTC needed  to load your certificates.

Certificates with a denomination (printed value in BTC) are only sold loaded. We ask that people place the BTC in our care before the certificates are shipped to make sure that they will be loaded - or alternatively - pay for the BTC needed to load the certificates.

We also have a generic certificate without any printed BTC value. This certificate we sell un-loaded.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: duk3s on November 21, 2014, 08:04:46 PM
Wow that's a very nice product. I'm thinking about ordering some as christmas presents for my cousins.

In the article in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (german) (http://www.nzz.ch/mehr/digital/xxx-1.18400637) it is following mentioned:

German:
Quote
«Wir werden wahrscheinlich eine zweite Serie auflegen», sagt Niklas Nikolajsen.
English:
Quote
«We'll probably produce a second production run», says Niklas Nikolajsen.

- Are there already design drafts for the second production run?
- Furthermore did any regulators raise concerns against your product?


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 23, 2014, 05:41:00 PM
While these questions are a little outside topic - we are happy to answer:

Quote
Are there already design drafts for the second production run?

No 2nd series is currently planned. If a 2nd series is ever done, it will be visibly different.
Business wise - making a quality product with all the security measures needed makes little sense. Perhaps if the product was pre-made in China and distributed from there, but not when carefully made, secured and shipped by high value employees of a Swiss financial intermediary. The product is a labor of love, nothing else. Thus we do not expect to make a 2nd series, but one can never say never.

Quote
Furthermore did any regulators raise concerns against your product?

The newspapers falsely reported that a Swiss company had "started making its own money". This prompted Swiss regulators to ask for more questions regarding the product, but it was not found to be in violation of Swiss law.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Braedo on November 24, 2014, 04:25:39 AM
Just ordered a 1BTC Edition! Excited for its arrival.

If multiple units are ordered is shipping combined or do they need to be shipped individually?


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: nicolasgramlich on November 24, 2014, 05:28:32 AM
Received mine a week or so back. Slightly above a week shipping to US iirc. Funding was very professionally and promptly handled. 10/10 recommend :)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 24, 2014, 04:00:24 PM
Quote
Just ordered a 1BTC Edition! Excited for its arrival.

It should be leaving BTCS HQ today! Thank you for your order and your trust.

Quote
If multiple units are ordered is shipping combined or do they need to be shipped individually?

Shipping is only paid once, no matter the amount of certificates ordered.
Fell free to play around with the ordering interface - to see example quotes. Only on the second "confirm" order click - as well as clicking the confirm link in the generated email, does the order proceed to handling.
At orders > 20, we will add an extra certificate for free. And once in a while, we add "demo certificates", so that people can try opening and sweeping a certificate without destroying their own paid certificates.

Quote
Received mine a week or so back. Slightly above a week shipping to US iirc. Funding was very professionally and promptly handled. 10/10 recommend

Thank you for such good feedback. The whole certificate experience on BitcoinTalk has been such a positive experience for us. We never expected sales of this product to be significant, but it seems clear that the series will sell out much sooner than expected.
We have had reports of the bills circulating and being used in trade in the far east. And we know they are being given as presents - between families and friends, but also in the traditional finance industry, thus spreading BTC ownership and interest wide and far.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Lairew on November 25, 2014, 01:30:02 AM
ordered:
1x 1btc
1x 0.5btc
3x 0.1btc
1 generic

it's time for Christmas present  ;D


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Fortify on November 25, 2014, 12:53:03 PM
I looked at these the other day and will probably end up buying them. However, you keep referring to them as limited but give no fixed amount that will be released? Or have I missed this part?


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on November 26, 2014, 02:37:58 AM
Quote
it's time for Christmas present

Nothing like Bitcoin under the christmas tree! (hint hint BTCS management)

Quote
I looked at these the other day and will probably end up buying them.
However, you keep referring to them as limited but give no fixed amount that will be released? Or have I missed this part?

Sure - second last page of the Certificate documentation has the total mintage of the various denominations:

Quote
Product Description: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/Site/data/BTCS_BitcoinCertificates_EN.pdf
Certificate 'How To' Guide: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/data/CertificateHowTo.pdf

The series I production numbers are final and cannot be changed. This is controlled by the serial numbers and the certificate database.
We'll be publishing the reverse lookup of the serial number format online, which does only support 0-9999 bills - and which contains denomination, series, date of production and production number shortly.
Of the total 10'000 produced, around 10% are out of circulation due to various issues such having been used for testing, allocation as DEMO certificates and quality issues.

We envisioned the certificates as a low cost representation of physical Bitcoin with a potential to circulate and be used as presents etc. In some cases to provide our less tech-savvy and conservative clients with Bitcoin in a way they can relate to.  
While we did not think of the Bitcoin certificates as having the numismatic play of coins, it is important to reveal all such information for those, who nevertheless view them as collectors items. And the certificate registry and lookup is a vital part of tracking unloaded certificates (lost in shipment), potential fakes etc.

Quote
Okay I am definitely ordering one.

Most welcome to do so! :-)


As a service announcement to all, and based on customer feedback - we'll be adding a "deluxe" sealed cardboard envelope shipping method to the ordering page. This is already default by larger shipments, but to keep costs down, we have thus far shipped small orders in normal envelopes with cardboard inlays.
This will increase shipping costs by USD 1.5 - but for some customers, this is worth it, to be ensured that certificates arrive in mint condition, even though no damaged shipments have been reported thus far.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Lairew on December 02, 2014, 01:19:38 PM
received mine in perfect conditions!

feedback and trust: +1


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: kimosan on December 02, 2014, 03:34:56 PM
Completely forgot to compliment you on these certificates. They are fantastic!

Received mine a while back and couldn't be happier. (shipping to the U.S. was surprisingly fast) Will be picking up some more.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Braedo on December 04, 2014, 06:49:35 AM
Just received my 1BTC Edition! It is awesome and I definitely will be buying more.
https://i.imgur.com/9rvaor9.jpg


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: fvs114 on December 04, 2014, 07:22:29 AM
Received mine a week ago, and they are really beautifull. It'll be great christmas present.
 :)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: dumbchump on December 11, 2014, 01:37:44 PM
Completely forgot to compliment you on these certificates. They are fantastic!

Received mine a while back and couldn't be happier. (shipping to the U.S. was surprisingly fast) Will be picking up some more.

+1 on the shipping to the U.S.  I was shocked it arrived so quickly.  The certificates are really well done.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: siameze on December 12, 2014, 03:01:07 AM
These look absolutely stunning. Will definitely be placing an order soon.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinSuisseAG on December 16, 2014, 09:33:31 AM
Dear All,

Last chance to order certificates this year will be Dec 18th 2014. We open again Jan 2nd 2015.

Bitcoin Suisse AG wishes all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
 


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Mitchell on November 13, 2015, 07:23:48 PM
I ordered one of these around three weeks ago. They arrived quickly and I really like them. I even got it laminated. ;D


https://i.imgur.com/kfDRZsp.jpg?2 (http://imgur.com/a/S1lOS)     https://i.imgur.com/ik2jODf.jpg (http://imgur.com/a/S1lOS)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: siameze on November 14, 2015, 12:27:48 AM
I ordered one of these around three weeks ago. They arrived quickly and I really like them. I even got it laminated. ;D


https://i.imgur.com/kfDRZsp.jpg?2 (http://imgur.com/a/S1lOS)     https://i.imgur.com/ik2jODf.jpg (http://imgur.com/a/S1lOS)
   


 :o  LAMINATED!!!! I am shocked with you, Sir!



Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Mitchell on November 14, 2015, 12:47:07 AM
:o  LAMINATED!!!! I am shocked with you, Sir!
How so? I wanted it to be future-proof and prevent possible deterioration. Laminating the note does just that. I put coins in airtite capsules and I laminated this. ;D


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Possum577 on November 14, 2015, 04:24:59 AM
Here's some detail on the security features of these certificates...they look great!

Our Bitcoin Certificates have the following value-adding features:
 Printed on synthetic polymer paper, resistant to water, wear and tear.
 Printed in extremely high resolution, only available on high-end industrial machinery.
 Equipped with hologram, featuring the Bitcoin Suisse logo.
 One-sided embossing of the company seal.
 X-ray, Ultrasound and probe proof private key.
 Usage of metallic silver ink on the bill, which cannot easily be replicated.
 Field which is to be opened to access the private key cannot be re-closed without clear signs
of tampering.
 Matrix printed QR-code of the Bitcoin address – with unique fingerprint properties, is visible
on the outside of the bill.
 Individual serial numbers identify the certificate – and contain encoded information as to date
and year of production, number of bill, series, nominal value and other information.
 Issued by a reputable and regulated Swiss company, which has been in business for (in crypto
currency terms) a long time.
 Extreme care taken during offline generation of keys. High quality random seeds used. Keys
are never visible to the production staff, nor anyone else. Always at least two Bitcoin Suisse
employees present during handling of keys.
 We register the unique fingerprint of each bill – along with the TxId (transaction ID) associated
with the loading of the certificate. These data are to be published in an accessible register to
ensure that people can trust that certificates obtained from 3rd party are genuine and loaded.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Lincoln6Echo on November 14, 2015, 01:15:58 PM
I ordered one of these around three weeks ago. They arrived quickly and I really like them. I even got it laminated. ;D


https://i.imgur.com/kfDRZsp.jpg?2 (http://imgur.com/a/S1lOS)     https://i.imgur.com/ik2jODf.jpg (http://imgur.com/a/S1lOS)

For me they are a piece of art! Very well designed and there so many details to discover! I wonder why they aren't more popular.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: siameze on November 14, 2015, 01:24:00 PM
I ordered one of these around three weeks ago. They arrived quickly and I really like them. I even got it laminated. ;D
Code:
 ~img snippped~

For me they are a piece of art! Very well designed and there so many details to discover! I wonder why they aren't more popular.

Not a lot of "savers" in the bitcoin scene it seems. These are the type of thing I like to give out to irl friends over the holidays. It gives them a sort of proof that they own btc, not just some numbers on a thumb drive. :)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: pinkslink on February 10, 2016, 06:33:22 AM
are they still selling these as link is dead


really these are just nice paper wallets
but
has anyone actually spent theirs ?

knowing that most people will simply collect and store these
like literally all people
has anyone actually used the private keys to spend these ?


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Mitchell on February 10, 2016, 07:03:51 AM
are they still selling these as link is dead
Yes they are: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/en/certificates/order/


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: lrdeoliveira on February 10, 2016, 08:46:29 AM
are they still selling these as link is dead
Yes they are: https://www.bitcoinsuisse.ch/en/certificates/order/

i never seen this kind of stuff, i'm going to buy one asap, thamks for the bump :)


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: BitcoinNewsMagazine on February 27, 2017, 12:49:28 AM
Did @BitcoinSuisseAG decide not to follow through on this project? All the links are dead.


Title: Re: [WTS] Swiss Issued 'Physical Bitcoin Certificates'
Post by: Pistachio on February 28, 2017, 04:33:09 PM
Did @BitcoinSuisseAG decide not to follow through on this project? All the links are dead.

AFAIK they sold out a long time ago. I have a few of these and they are well made. The cost was likely higher than what they were sold for give the quantity, the enhanced security features, and the labor costs involved in managing the sale.