Original Lealana Bitcoins
Four .999 silver Bitcoin denominations, a matching four-coin set, and the 0.1 BTC brass extension introduced in 2014.
Coin and set specification
| Denomination or variant | Metal / format | Diameter | Maximum mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BTC | 1 troy oz .999 silver, gold plated; gold “BTC” hologram | 39 mm | 500 |
| 0.5 BTC · all hologram types | 1 troy oz .999 silver | 39 mm | 500 denomination ceiling |
| 0.5 BTC · gold hologram | 1 troy oz .999 silver; gold security hologram | 39 mm | 100 variant limit |
| 0.25 BTC · all hologram types | 1/2 troy oz .999 silver | 30 mm | 1,000 denomination ceiling |
| 0.25 BTC · gold hologram | 1/2 troy oz .999 silver; gold security hologram | 30 mm | 200 variant limit |
| 0.1 BTC | 1/4 troy oz .999 silver | 25 mm | 2,000 |
| 0.1 BTC | Brass | Just under 30 mm | Introduced 2014; total not stated |
Set composition
Serials 1–500 of each silver denomination were reserved for four-coin sets with matching presentation packaging.
Standard and gold-hologram variants
The 0.25 BTC and 0.5 BTC silver coins were later sold with gold security holograms as visually distinct, limited variants.
“Gold hologram” describes the security hologram on the reverse. It does not mean the silver coin itself was gold plated. Smoothie documented limits of 200 quarter-BTC and 100 half-BTC gold-hologram pieces. Maker’s February 2015 variant summary.
Address and serial-number identifiers
Color terminology in the maker’s posts applies primarily to the visible public-address text. Serial numbers are a separate identifier on the hologram.
| Edition or variant | Public-address text | Serial-number evidence | Other identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original 2013 silver pieces | Black address text; “1BTC” vanity prefix | Serialized. Half-ounce and one-ounce pieces received outer-hologram laser engraving from late October 2013; quarter-ounce pieces used overprinted serials. | Standard hologram |
| 2014 buyer-funded relaunch | Green address text; “1BF” prefix | The surviving maker posts do not describe the serial digits as green. The serial and address color should not be conflated. | Laser-marked “BUYER-FUNDED” hologram |
| 0.25 BTC gold hologram | Black address text | Black serial digits are visible on the gold foil in first-party photographs; smoothie specified hologram nos. #5000 and higher. | 200-piece variant limit |
| 0.5 BTC gold hologram | Black address text | Black serial digits are visible in first-party photographs; no dedicated serial range was stated in the recovered posts. | 100-piece variant limit |
Original offer prices
| Offer | As posted | Historical equivalent | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four-coin silver set | 2.4 BTC | 2.4 BTC ≈ $437 | |
| 1 BTC gold-plated silver | 1.2 BTC | 1.2 BTC ≈ $219 | |
| 0.1 BTC silver | 0.2 BTC | 0.2 BTC ≈ $36 | |
| 0.25 BTC silver | 0.4 BTC | 0.4 BTC ≈ $73 | |
| 0.5 BTC silver | 0.67 BTC | 0.67 BTC ≈ $122 |
The release story
Maker statements and surviving thread evidence, organized as one continuous record.
Sizes, addresses, and security
Physical sizes
Smoothie gave diameters of 39 mm for the one-ounce pieces, 30 mm for the half-ounce coin, 25 mm for the quarter-ounce coin, and just under 30 mm for brass.
Recognizable addresses
The four-coin sets used “1BTC” address prefixes. Later comments identify product-specific patterns including 1BTC1… for the 0.25 BTC coin and 1BTCz/1BTCy/1BTCx… families for the 0.5 BTC coin.
Original funding sequence
The 2013 coins shipped unloaded and were funded only after tracked delivery was confirmed. In November 2013 the maker said he did not then plan to sell them as permanently unloaded pieces.
Shipping and presentation
Registered-mail charges covered capsules, certificates, and leatherettes, and the posted shipping charge stayed the same regardless of the number of coins in an order.
Design intent and the 2014 relaunch
Hawaiian identity
Smoothie said the Hawaiian language and theme were intentional expressions of his Native Hawaiian heritage rather than decoration chosen merely to fit the coin.
Buyer-funded distinction
At the May 2014 relaunch, unfunded silver Bitcoin pieces received green address text, a “1BF” prefix, and a laser-marked “BUYER-FUNDED” hologram; certificates were discontinued for these new pieces.
The brass extension
The 0.1 BTC brass coin was previewed in December 2013 with its own variation of the gold-plated-silver hologram, then sold with the relaunched line.
Regulatory pause
On March 11, 2014, smoothie said he had suspended sales while seeking guidance on FinCEN’s interpretation of money transmission.
Gold holograms and visible identifiers
First quarter-BTC gold holograms
On February 11, 2015, smoothie offered the first 0.25 BTC silver pieces with the same gold hologram used on the one-ounce 1 BTC gold “BTC” coins. He specified black address text, hologram serials #5000 and higher, and a maximum of 200.
First half-BTC gold holograms
On February 18, 2015, smoothie identified the first public sale of the 0.5 BTC gold-hologram version and stated a limited supply of 100. Later auctions repeated that only 100 would be sold.
Address color versus serial color
Original and gold-hologram auction pieces were described with black public-address text. The 2014 buyer-funded relaunch instead used green public-address text and a 1BF prefix. First-party photographs show black serial digits on the gold foil, but the surviving posts do not define a separate edition-wide serial-color code.
Funding remained a separate choice
The gold-hologram auctions included prefunded and buyer-funded options. Pieces not prefunded before shipment were to receive the BUYER-FUNDED laser mark, so hologram color alone does not establish funding state.
Sales and fulfillment timeline
First-party updates posted by smoothie, arranged chronologically.
Original Bitcoin line launched
The four silver denominations were announced with black-address 1BTC vanity families and denomination-wide maximum mintages.
Buyer-funded relaunch
New unfunded production adopted green public-address text, 1BF prefixes, and BUYER-FUNDED hologram marking.
0.25 BTC gold hologram introduced
The first gold-hologram quarter-BTC roll used black address text and hologram numbers #5000 and higher; the maker later reiterated a 200-piece limit.
0.5 BTC gold hologram introduced
The first gold-hologram half-BTC pieces were offered publicly with a stated 100-piece limit.
Relevant Bitcointalk posts
Direct links to the exact numbered replies behind the reconstruction.
- Topic 315440Post #1
Launch specifications, maximum mintages, original prices, and presentation options
- Topic 315440Post #43
Smoothie confirms the diameters for the one-ounce, half-ounce, quarter-ounce, and brass formats
- Topic 315440Post #50
An early shipment is acknowledged with funding still scheduled for the following day or two
- Topic 315440Post #51
Address-prefix families are mapped to each denomination, and the 0.1 BTC brass issue is announced
- Topic 315440Post #52
Four-coin set fulfillment timing and the maker’s conference sales plans
- Topic 315440Post #54
The forthcoming brass coin’s 2013 date and distinguishable hologram are confirmed
- Topic 610924Post #1
Sales resume with green addresses, 1BF prefixes, electronic address files, and BUYER-FUNDED laser marking
- Topic 610924Post #4
Smoothie explains why loose, unattached holograms would create authentication problems
- Topic 610924Post #5
The maker confirms that the resumed-series hologram contains several distinguishing changes
- Topic 610924Post #8
First-party explanation of the switch to a customer-funded sales model
- Topic 953123Post #1
First 0.25 BTC gold-hologram auction: black address text, hologram numbers #5000 and higher, and the reused 1 BTC gold “BTC” hologram
- Topic 960898Post #1
First public sale of the 0.5 BTC gold-hologram variant; maker states 200 quarter-BTC and 100 half-BTC gold-hologram limits
- Topic 1115732Post #1
Later first-party sale reiterating that only 100 half-BTC coins would be sold with gold holograms
- Topic 1188100Post #1
Later roll auction reiterating the 200-piece quarter-BTC limit and hologram numbers #5000 and higher
Archival notes
- The May 2014 update switched new production to unfunded, buyer-funded-marked pieces with green address text.
- The gold-hologram limits are recorded as variants of the existing 0.25 BTC and 0.5 BTC denominations, not added here as extra coins beyond the original denomination ceilings.
- Nine original first-post photographs are preserved below, including seven Imageshack files recovered from the Internet Archive. Three later first-party auction photographs document the gold-hologram variants. Five earlier Imageshack files remain unavailable.
Recovered photographs
9 first-post images and 3 later first-party gold-hologram auction photographs were recovered and re-hosted here. Select any photograph to enlarge it.
Sources
- Original Bitcoin sales thread · Bitcointalk topic 315440
- First-party diameter confirmation · Bitcointalk topic 315440
- Buyer-funded relaunch and brass 0.1 BTC introduction · Bitcointalk topic 610924
- First 0.25 BTC gold-hologram auction · Bitcointalk topic 953123
- First 0.5 BTC gold-hologram sale and variant-limit summary · Bitcointalk topic 960898
- Later 0.5 BTC gold-hologram auction · Bitcointalk topic 1115732
- Later 0.25 BTC gold-hologram roll auction · Bitcointalk topic 1188100
- 2015 "Roll of Dimes" auction · Bitcointalk topic 993333
- Nine-type first-party auction confirming the line-up · Bitcointalk topic 669646
- Ninjastic archived topic record · smoothie’s posts and later thread replies reviewed
- Internet Archive Wayback captures · 50 unique captures indexed; 2014-02-04 to 2025-10-12
- CoinMarketCap historical snapshot for 2013-10-21