Rare physical bitcoin worth $1.78 million gets cashed in after 12 years
Key takeaways
- By Shaurya Malwa|Edited by Sheldon Reback Jun 3, 2026, 2:32 p.m.
- Casascius coins were physical tokens created by software engineer Mike Caldwell in denominations of 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 25, 100 and even 1,000 BTC.
- Holders could spend the bitcoin at any time by peeling the hologram and importing the private key into a wallet, a one-way move that destroyed the coin's collectible status.
By Shaurya Malwa|Edited by Sheldon Reback Jun 3, 2026, 2:32 p.m. 2 min read Make preferred on Michael Caldwell's physical bitcoin Casascius coins (casascius.com)What to know: A rare 25-bitcoin Casascius physical coin, minted between 2011 and 2013, was peeled this week and its 25 BTC—worth about $1.78 million—were moved to a new wallet.Casascius coins, created by software engineer Mike Caldwell, embed real bitcoin under tamper-evident holograms and are prized by collectors for both their face value and numismatic premium when left intact.Redeeming the coin destroyed its collectible status and came amid a broader burst of activity from long-dormant bitcoin holdings, including a 2011-era wallet that just moved 35 BTC after 15 years.A physical bitcoin BTC$66,924.57 from the legendary 2011-2013 Casascius mint had its hologram seal removed on Wednesday and the 25 BTC stored inside, worth $1.70 million at current prices, transferred to a new wallet.
Casascius coins were physical tokens created by software engineer Mike Caldwell in denominations of 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 25, 100 and even 1,000 BTC. Each coin had its receiving bitcoin address printed on the outside, with the matching private key concealed under a tamper-evident hologram on the back.
🪙 CASASCIUS COIN REDEEMED — S1-COIN-25 (25 BTC face) swept for 25.0000 BTC ($1.78M)A physical Casascius bitcoin from the 2011-2013 mint has been peeled and the private key swept on-chain.Address: 1tLPQwd6wjvZpreivwHsEuU2ceSv6zaonAlso in our DB: Noah Doe #38977 ·…