Back in 2016 I was looking around in a local thrift store and saw an odd framed picture/photo with a couple embracing in the centre and bitcoins all around, so I bought it hoping there would be a paper wallet inside.

Here is a low resolution picture of it:


After inspecting it and breaking it apart from the frame I didn't find anything. In the top middle it also says "Vires in Numeris" translated to "Strength in Numbers", some design elements are slightly raised from the paper and this was printed commercially judging by the quality of the print. I feel like the couple in the middle and the couple in the top right do not match in physical appearance, but not really sure.

I made a high resolution scan hoping to find something hidden in it, but didn't really see anything specific at the time. So I put it aside, eventually tossed out the frame as I had damaged it while taking it apart. Earlier this year I found that scan file on a backup and while messing with the blue channel I extracted the 15x8 yellow dot printer pattern. The pattern doesn't follow the known EFF Xeros display tracking dots format so I cannot decipher it.

I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about this image, I'm just curious mostly but also wondering if there is perhaps a private key some how embedded inside it or the yellow dot pattern.

1.) How do you fit a private key inside a 15x8 grid? It contains 50 dots filled in.
2.) Any known programs or steganography techniques before 2016 that could allow someone to embed a watermark, qr code or a key that would survive printing/scanning? I've found research paper about hiding water marks that can survive resizing/cropping etc but no working program or code.
3.) In part of the image when I zoom in significantly I see some weird characters/patterns, that could be something or could be nothing. For example here is a small section of one area. Anyone else see some characters & scribbles? Could have been scanner error or something else, the image is stored uncompressed however so I find it odd.


Anyways thought it was an interesting curiosity if anyone knows anything about this or if any ideas how a private key could be inside this image or the 15x8 printer pattern, would be interesting to hear. I can't post the high resolution scan or the pattern, just in case it does contain something.