Unfunded 2012 Casascius "Bitnickel" 5 Bitcoin. Series 1 and Series 2 Type. Nickel Plated Brass. MS-67 (ICG).

Unfunded and non-loaded. The surfaces gleam with radiant platinum-white coloration and offer a blend of frosty luster and satiny reflectivity. Interestingly, the weakness at the motto VIRES IN NUMERIS on the obverse is seen on virtually all examples from these series due to an error in the production process. A similar Unfunded MS-67 (ICG) example sold for $2,400 in our Spring 2023 sale. We are also thrilled to have sold a funded example for $132,000 in our August 2022 sale. According to researcher Elias Ahonen, the Series 1 Casascius 5 BTC funded coins were released in January 2012 with an issue price of 6 BTC, amounting to around US$33 at the time. They were initially released with a gold-colored hologram but a silver-colored hologram was introduced for Series 2 circa April 2012. Mike Caldwell, the creator of the Casascius series, eventually released an unreported quantity of unfunded "bitnickel" planchets for enthusiasts to fund on their own. This example can likely be traced back to this later release.