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.
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.
A sweet demo certificate they sent with my order
The embossed Bitcoin logo
A close-up of the security hologram
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!
