Coins today aren’t what they used to be. What do you think?

[alandelon]

Hello everyone,
I’d like to know if anyone feels the same way I do.

I’ve been actively involved in coin collecting for about two years now within this group, but my interest actually goes back much further. I started casually around 2013, when I acquired my BHcoin. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to analyze and compare many different designs, and honestly, nothing comes close to the beauty that Casascius released in its time.

For a coin launched in 2011, Casascius achieved something truly exceptional. I genuinely believe I’ve never seen anything as elegant and beautiful, especially when it comes to the hologram. Another line I find stunning is Denarium, with incredible designs and holograms that, in my opinion, are on the same level as Casascius. Lealana is also beautiful.

What I’m getting at with all of this is the following: while browsing the website finitebydesign.net, I came across several attractive designs. However, from my humble point of view, I feel that the clean, subtle essence of what makes a coin truly elegant has been lost.

What I notice, not only with FD but with many designers today, is that modern coins tend to include far too much information on the surface. Honestly, that makes them much less desirable to me as a collector. I’m not questioning the quality of the materials. In fact, FD uses incredible materials. But I strongly feel that simpler designs would make people want to buy and appreciate them more.

That said, I don’t think everything is bad at all. Some coins, like the Limited Edition 1/10th Bitcoin Commemorative Coin or the Ethereum Limited Edition Time, among others I’ve seen, are truly beautiful. Still, I believe that over the years, designers have tried to make coins more eye-catching, yet they don’t quite reach the level achieved by Casascius. When I say Casascius, I mean all of its versions.

I’m not saying designers should copy it exactly. Adding personal style is great. But in my opinion, the excessive amount of information takes away from the visual appeal. Again, I want to be clear that this is not meant to discredit anyone’s work at all. It’s simply an observation.

In fact, thanks to the BHcoin Version 1 that I acquired back in the day and still keep, I truly fell in love with its beautiful, simple design. That simplicity is what I feel has been lost over time.

Thank you very much for reading. I’d really like to hear your opinions. All viewpoints are welcome, and I think it would be great to discuss this, because at the end of the day, that’s what collecting is all about.

[Spokanistan51]

Good point, but I think it's case by case. I tend to enjoy creative and/or complex designs, CI Phoenix for example, but I also am a fan of only releasing new designs maybe only once every 1-2 years. I am not a fan of creators that flood the market with multiple new and complex designs back-to-back-to-back. It makes it more difficult to keep track as a collector, and I also feel it pushes the value and demand down as there are so many new releases and numbers overall. I prefer rare, limited, and hard to obtain. To each their own, I guess.

[alandelon]

Good point, but I think it's case by case. I tend to enjoy creative and/or complex designs, CI Phoenix for example, but I also am a fan of only releasing new designs maybe only once every 1-2 years. I am not a fan of creators that flood the market with multiple new and complex designs back-to-back-to-back. It makes it more difficult to keep track as a collector, and I also feel is pushes the value and demand down as there are so many new releases and numbers overall. I prefer rare, limited, and hard to obtain. To each their own, I guess.

Yes, you’re absolutely right — good point. The same thing happens to me as well.

[Kazkaz27]

I can relate to some of that sentiment. Personally, my favorite for a long time was Lealana—until after creating a dozen series myself, I’ve grown to love my own designs the most. Mine are themed and inspired by various elements; I’d encounter things during my travels and connect them to Bitcoin’s history or future, then symbolize that connection. My latest series featured a Bitcoin Owl, representing wisdom and vigilance. Most of the VIP series played on words—some were commemorative, others collaborations, and a few kept things simplistic. That said, my all-time favorite is the most complex coin I’ve created to date, which isn’t even Bitcoin—it’s Monero.

Many Lealana coins are definitely more intricate than Casascius coins. They’re elegant and flow beautifully. Casascius designs were simple yet powerfully executed, with bold symbolism for Bitcoin that’s unlikely to be replicated by future creators. Simplistic designs can be incredible, but since it’s already been done, it’s tough to mimic them without blending in. It can feel a bit uninspiring when creators don’t innovate. Personally, I want to see all kinds of fresh ideas, as they motivate people to join this hobby. Different themes can resonate with diverse audiences and attract new enthusiasts. For instance, if someone loves cats and encounters a cat-themed physical Bitcoin, they might discover an interest in Bitcoin for the first time.

[timfilthymore]

Todays coin makers are not the same in a bad way... for example sir kasskass above uses A.I for all of his replies and post here. He can't even use his imagination or brain to put together his thoughts in a sentence sooo you already know his coins lack 80% effort.

[MoparMiningLLC]

I do like the cas coins for sure and the Lealana's are nice. I also like the newer makers like squirrelbits and mrmojorising - they have been around for a few years so not really "new" new but newer than cas/lealana for sure.
There are still quite a few old coins I would love to add to my collection though they do get quite expensive and are harder to find each year.

[howardsentell]

Caribbean Treasures is one of the top physical coin makers, and its owner, Brian Sparks https://caribbeantreasures.us/, is a true pioneer in the field. He often includes scripture on his coins and aims to share God's message worldwide. One of his standout coins is the 2025 Caribbean Treasures Trump Kingdom Builders Are Coming 500,000 Satoshi. He has also started making silver certificate notes.







Another maker, Zachery Arabham of Bit-VIP-Coins https://physicalbitcoins.vip/about-our-product, is new to the scene but already making an impact. His latest release, the 2025 Your Wealth Your Power 1/2 Monero coin, is the first physical Monero coin to feature all three keys. You can expect great products and customer service from both makers.

[OgNasty]

I think people have made some cool coins over the years and even had some innovations like using vanity addresses. The problem is always the trust factor and difficulty in incorporating Bitcoin in a way that matters without putting owners at risk.

[howardsentell]

I think people have made some cool coins over the years and even had some innovations like using vanity addresses. The problem is always the trust factor and difficulty in incorporating Bitcoin in a way that matters without putting owners at risk.

OG you have made some outstanding all gold BTC coins.

[FiniteByDesign]

I agree with the OP. The Cass coins are beautiful and groundbreaking - truly exceptional and in a class of their own.

That said, as someone with a creative side and a passion for exploring and sharing it, I also really enjoy experimenting with new designs. I love incorporating different themes that resonate with me and merging them with my passion for and belief in cryptocurrency. I understand that my work can sometimes be prolific, so I limit my designs to small batches to help balance the number of releases. To me, producing a single coin line each year with a total mintage of 100 coins isn’t much different from releasing nine coin lines of 11 coins each in that same year - as an example.

In the end, the beauty of collecting is finding pieces that resonate with you personally, and that will always be subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Great post, and thank you for bringing up this topic!

[CasBrowser]

I find we intuitively tend to think of coins as something that is struck.

In standard coin production (both ancient and modern official currency), the defining manufacturing process is striking (or coining): a prepared metal blank (planchet) is placed between two engraved dies and pressed/stamped under high pressure to force the metal to flow into the recessed design, creating raised relief on both sides. This deformation under force is what distinguishes true struck coins from other metal objects. This requires many steps and significant skill.

A struck coin is like forging a sword in a medieval armory—requiring rare artistic talent, generational craft knowledge, and heavyweight industrial machinery. The process of striking carries that aura of profound, unforgiving craftsmanship that gives coins their enduring tactile character.

[FiniteByDesign]

I find we intuitively tend to think of coins as something that is struck.

In standard coin production (both ancient and modern official currency), the defining manufacturing process is striking (or coining): a prepared metal blank (planchet) is placed between two engraved dies and pressed/stamped under high pressure to force the metal to flow into the recessed design, creating raised relief on both sides. This deformation under force is what distinguishes true struck coins from other metal objects. This requires many steps and significant skill.

A struck coin is like forging a sword in a medieval armory—requiring rare artistic talent, generational craft knowledge, and heavyweight industrial machinery. The process of striking carries that aura of profound, unforgiving craftsmanship that gives coins their enduring tactile character.

Intuitively, we think of money as something tangible and physical; yet here we are on a forum built around digital currency. You may not be as old school as you think.

[bitcoiner24h]

Less and better is worth more than more and worse.

I suppose there are creators who only see the economic interest in launching coins or products: the more they release, the more they earn. That approach reminds me of cases like MrCryptHODL and we all know how badly that ended. The quality wasn’t necessarily bad, but the volume was excessive, and everything collapsed customers affected, coins left unloaded, and a significant loss of BTC.

Other creators, however, prefer to release less and understand that it’s not about making money, but about leaving a legacy art that remains in the market forever. That kind of art is more detailed, every element is there for a reason, with a clear meaning. Launching a piece is not an impulsive decision. It requires time, many tests, a purpose that truly aligns with what Bitcoin represents.

At least, that’s my point of view.
Not everything is acceptable.

[FiniteByDesign]

Less and better is worth more than more and worse.

I suppose there are creators who only see the economic interest in launching coins or products: the more they release, the more they earn. That approach reminds me of cases like MrCryptHODL and we all know how badly that ended. The quality wasn’t necessarily bad, but the volume was excessive, and everything collapsed customers affected, coins left unloaded, and a significant loss of BTC.

Other creators, however, prefer to release less and understand that it’s not about making money, but about leaving a legacy art that remains in the market forever. That kind of art is more detailed, every element is there for a reason, with a clear meaning. Launching a piece is not an impulsive decision. It requires time, many tests, a purpose that truly aligns with what Bitcoin represents.

At least, that’s my point of view.
Not everything is acceptable.

I think there’s a big misconception that coin makers are making a lot of money, and from my experience that’s simply not true. The collector space is still very small. For creators to consistently make strong income, the space would need to grow exponentially, and we aren't even close to that currently.

Personally, after expenses, my earnings in 2025 averaged around $20 per hour of labor. That’s not a livable salary for someone supporting a family. Most of us are not mass-producing to get rich, we’re balancing art, risk, upfront costs, and a niche market.

If the goal is a healthier creator economy and stronger secondary market, then the real question is: how do we grow the collector space overall? More collectors, more education, more visibility, and more long-term participation would help everyone, including those creators who want to focus on quality and legacy rather than volume.

“Less and better is worth more than more and worse” is a great principle, but it also has to exist inside a market that’s big enough to sustain the people creating that “better.”

[OgNasty]

I think there’s a big misconception that coin makers are making a lot of money, and from my experience that’s simply not true.

Whenever people ask me about how much I make from coins I just laugh. The very first 1oz Minted Seat cost me hundreds of BTC to produce and I spent years generating and engraving addresses using expensive equipment, dealing with heat, and constant electricity costs, not to mention donating profits. I don’t think I’ve made back that BTC from all the sales of every product I’ve ever made that followed and probably never made a profit in BTC on any product I’ve ever sold and people still complain. That’s the reality.

If you want to make money, buy and hold BTC. Everything else here is for the love of Bitcoin.

[raritycheck]

I think there’s a big misconception that coin makers are making a lot of money, and from my experience that’s simply not true.

Whenever people ask me about how much I make from coins I just laugh. 

Well said!

[BTCOVERFIAT42069]

Squirrelbits makes fire coins

[alandelon]

Caribbean Treasures is one of the top physical coin makers, and its owner, Brian Sparks https://caribbeantreasures.us/, is a true pioneer in the field. He often includes scripture on his coins and aims to share God's message worldwide. One of his standout coins is the 2025 Caribbean Treasures Trump Kingdom Builders Are Coming 500,000 Satoshi. He has also started making silver certificate notes.

I really like Caribbean’s coins; I’m lucky enough to own one of them, and they’re incredible. I like them a lot—the hologram is almost similar to Casascius.
That said, as people mention in the comments, tastes vary widely. I think everyone does a great job. In the end, the idea is to promote collecting and Bitcoin coins.

[Kazkaz27]

Spot on, OG and FD.

That’s why I always facepalm when Mopar accuses me of overpriced coins. 🤦‍♂️

I think my prices were super low—I was selling 1/2 oz silver coins (limited to 100) for just 0.001 BTC. I consider that a steal.

Not to mention, I didn’t make any money on it. Every bit went back into making more coins, and it actually cost me extra out of pocket.

I do it purely for the love of the hobby and the legacy it leaves behind.

[alandelon]

Spot on, OG and FD.

That’s why I always facepalm when Mopar accuses me of overpriced coins. 🤦‍♂️

I think my prices were super low—I was selling 1/2 oz silver coins (limited to 100) for just 0.001 BTC. I consider that a steal.

Not to mention, I didn’t make any money on it. Every bit went back into making more coins, and it actually cost me extra out of pocket.

I do it purely for the love of the hobby and the legacy it leaves behind.

Listen, your coins are absolutely incredible. I really need to get one from you — I still have one pending to buy.