2012 Casascius "Bitnickel" 5 Bitcoin. Loaded. Firstbits 1GKFrx2U. Series 1. Nickel Plated Brass. 28.5 mm. MS-65 (PCGS). This is an active and loaded cryptocurrency coin containing 5 BTC. It boasts attractive silver-grey surfaces with intense frosty luster throughout. Considerable prooflike reflectivity remains in the obverse fields, delivering a fully delightful complexion. This specimen ranks as one of just two coins graded by PCGS, making it among the scarcest crypto issued certified by that service. <p><p><p>The 2012 Series 1 5 Bitcoin represents the debut of this denomination in the Casascius series. It has earned the nickname "Bitnickel" among crypto enthusiasts for both its nickel-plated composition and its similarity to the 5-cent denomination in U.S. coinage. Interestingly, all known examples display weakness in the letters of the motto VIRES IN NUMERIS which resulted from a defect in the production process. <p><p><p>This series was first released in January 2012 at a price of 6 BTC each. At the time, Bitcoin was valued at approximately $6 which resulted in a cost of around $36 per coin. Due to this "staggering" cost above the 1 BTC series, the 5 BTC was issued in limited numbers and they remain incredible rarities today. Just 675 funded examples have been recorded, though over 30% of these have been peeled and redeemed. Loaded coins, like the present example, are extremely desirable with only about 445 surviving.<p>Specialist Elias Ahonen considers this an "Error" variety, as it uses the gold-colored hologram with the firstbits printed at the center as seen on the Series 1 1 BTC. Just three months after these were released, the updated Series 2 variety was announce which included the new silver-colored hologram and a rectangular display window for the firstbits.<p><p><p><p>Public Address:1GKFrx2UX96HVxyt27LzUU18UQEPJd7YYC.<p><p> PCGS# 888206. PCGS Population: 1; 1 finer. <p>*Loaded cryptocurrency coins will be reserved at their intrinsic cryptocurrency value on the day of the sale. Lots realizing $25,000 or more will be delivered via armored carrier ONLY. An additional shipping charge of five hundred dollars [$500] will be applied to domestic armored carrier deliveries, with additional fees for remote and international deliveries. Winning bidders may also pay their invoice via BitPay for a 1% fee after authorization by Stack’s Bowers Galleries prior to the sale. Additional terms and conditions apply.<p><p>
