Bitcoin Cents: Brass, Nickel and Rainbow
Ten 0.01 BTC designs spanning plain brass/nickel and four rainbow treatments in each metal.
Coin and set specification
| Denomination or variant | Metal / format | Maximum mintage |
|---|---|---|
| 0.01 BTC | Plain brass | 2,000 |
| 0.01 BTC | Plain nickel-plated brass | 2,000 |
| 0.01 BTC | Rainbow brass, designs A–D | 560 total; 140 each |
| 0.01 BTC | Rainbow nickel, designs A–D | 560 total; 140 each |
Set composition
A complete matching-number set contains ten coins: the two plain finishes plus rainbow designs A, B, C, and D in both metals. Maximum complete-set mintage: 25.
Every advertised coin type
The seller’s list names ten types: plain brass and nickel-plated brass, plus rainbow designs A–D in both metals. A collector later photographed a complete matching set containing all ten.
The collector did not caption each grid position. The left column is nickel-plated brass and the right column is brass; the rows visually match the maker’s named examples as D, C, B, A, then plain from top to bottom. Each card below is a separate coin crop; the uncropped complete-set photograph remains in the recovered gallery. See reply #78.
Original offer prices
| Offer | As posted | Historical equivalent | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain brass or nickel · roll of 20 | 0.035 BTC | 0.035 BTC ≈ $812 | |
| Rainbow brass or nickel · roll of 20 | 0.05 BTC | 0.05 BTC ≈ $1,161 | |
| Matching four-coin sets · four rolls / 80 coins | 0.18 BTC | 0.18 BTC ≈ $4,178 | |
| Complete matching 10-coin set | 0.028 BTC | 0.028 BTC ≈ $585 Rate snapshot: 2022-08-19 | Price preserved in seller reply #28 before sellout |
Denomination at the post date
These values describe the loadable face amount, not the price of the metal collectible.
| Item | Face amount | BTC and USD equivalent on 2022-08-18 |
|---|---|---|
| Each cent | 0.01 BTC | 0.01 BTC ≈ $232 |
| Ten-coin set face value | 0.1 BTC | 0.1 BTC ≈ $2,321 |
The release story
Maker statements and surviving thread evidence, organized as one continuous record.
Keys, funding, and delivery
One private key per coin
The private key was sealed beneath the coin’s hologram and could be accessed only by peeling it. Paper or digital certificates carried the public Bitcoin address, serial number, and identifying coin details. The visible reverse also carried the public address and serial number.
Funded before shipment
Smoothie sent PGP-signed address lists and required the exact 0.01 BTC face amount before shipment. He preferred each ten-coin set to be entirely funded or entirely BF-marked.
Buyer-funded-marked option
Coins ordered empty carried “BUYER FUNDED” on the hologram. Their owners still received PGP-signed public-address lists.
Registered delivery
Shipping was $40 domestic or $60 international by USPS Registered Mail with restricted delivery, signature, and identification.
Two production anomalies recorded by smoothie
“L EALANA” spacing error
The first “L” in LEALANA was misplaced on a small number of Design D rainbow coins. Smoothie counted three nickel-rainbow and six brass-rainbow examples and said any further pieces found would be destroyed.
An unfinished coin escaped
A later reply says one unfinished backup version had mistakenly entered circulation. The maker distinguished that individual piece from the normal finished issue.
Sets inside the design mintages
The 25 set pieces for each rainbow A through D type are included within, rather than added on top of, the 140-coin maximum, leaving up to 115 per design for rolls or four-coin sets.
Best-effort alignment
The maker disclosed that rainbow artwork alignment would vary and that no coin or alignment could be perfectly identical.
Sales and fulfillment timeline
First-party updates posted by smoothie, arranged chronologically.
Sales opened
Plain rolls, rainbow A–D rolls, and coordinated four-roll sets were offered.
Ten-coin set created
Collector feedback led smoothie to add 25 complete matching sets at 0.028 BTC each.
Ten-coin sets sold out
The final matching set was reported sold.
All rainbow rolls sold
Plain brass and nickel cents remained available.
First shipment batch left
Subsequent registered-mail batches and funding cutoffs were posted through late September.
Archival notes
- The edited first post no longer preserves the roll prices, but seller reply #28 preserves the complete 10-coin set price of 0.028 BTC.
- The maker identified the four rainbow treatments as Tribal, colored-B/tribal, border-colored BTC tribal, and binary/BTC symbols.
- Collector reply #78 includes the complete matching set in two columns. The type guide maps that photograph by visual comparison with the maker’s named reference images; the original collector post did not caption each grid position.
Recovered photographs
15 first-post images and 6 later-thread photographs were recovered and re-hosted here. Select any photograph to enlarge it.
Sources
- Original Bitcoin Cents sales thread · Bitcointalk topic 5410318
- Seller’s 10-coin set composition and 0.028 BTC price · reply #28 · Bitcointalk topic 5410318
- Collector’s complete 10-coin set photographs · reply #78 · Bitcointalk topic 5410318
- Matching set no. 0 auction · Bitcointalk topic 5410554
- Ninjastic archived topic record · smoothie’s posts and later thread replies reviewed
- Internet Archive Wayback captures · 29 unique captures indexed; 2022-10-10 to 2025-10-05
- CoinMarketCap historical snapshot for 2022-08-18
- CoinMarketCap historical snapshot for 2022-08-19