Topic: NOLACOIN.COM Is Back! 0.5,1, 3BTC Physical Coin LASER ENGRAVED - GLOBAL SHIPPING (Read 10871 times)

My cross country move has resulted in more delays than anticipated, but the new coins are ordered and payed for. I have received samples and they look wonderful. Laser just got back from servicing (that took way to bloody long) and I am gonna get rolling again pretty soon. Too many pretty coins just waiting to get engraved! Thanks for your interest. 

Hi Arash!

When do you think the 0.05 and 0.25 will be ready? Loved your old ones, and would be nice to have some of the smaller denominations as well. Perfect for gifting!

Thats great news.  Looking forward to the new .25 and .05 coins.  Put me in for one of each of the funded ones when they're ready.

I have shut down the ordering from the website as I prepare to move, but you may still PM me for unfunded or funded coins and until I actually disconnect and pack up the laser (not for another few weeks) I will be able to take your order Once I am settled, I will have the full line of .05, .25, .5, 1, and 3 BTC coins available either funded or unfunded. Thanks for everyone support and I can't wait to keep the coins coming!

Wow these are beautiful!

I would urge anyone looking to pick up a great coin, to take Arash up on his new offer for self funded coins. 

I have one of his funded 1 BTC nolacoins and they're beautiful and very affordable.

Best of luck on your exam Arash.

Cant wait until August for your new coins.

THAT'S AWESOME! Thanks for posting that! You get a free coin for finding that!

Hello all! Sorry for my lack of replies. I am spending a lot of time studying for upcoming orthopaedic surgery board exam which is on July 10! Wish me luck.

To answer some questions, I am going to start selling these coins unfunded as well, They wont come with serial numbers, they will be engraved to say SELF FUNDED instead
If you order a self funded coin, I can engrave anything else in addition, and anywhere else you want on the coin. The possibilities are endless with my laser, it can really do anything

If you want a self funded coin, PM me. Prices are .03 for the Half, .04 for the One, and .05 for the Three. Shipping is free in USA and $10 international flat rate. Ill add them to the website as some point in the future. I hate my website so I am going to make a new one (anyone know a good bitcoin webmaster?)

Speaking of the laser, its about to move to California, along with me. I will always have New Orleans ties,  so my business will remain branded as NolaCoin with the spirit of New Orleans, but operations will move with me to Los Angeles. Legally it will remain incorporated in Louisiana. The laser needs special attention to move cross country, so I will stop taking orders this Sunday as I pack up the laser and hit the homestretch in my studying. Likely start taking orders again in August, and the .05 and .25 coins will be ready then as well. They are almost done being produced (sorry that has taken way longer than expected)

I must have just missed it. I was able to look up the company on www.sos.la.gov and says they are in good standing. thanks,

There's a few words about Arash in the first post right above the pictures of the coins.

Quick question about you and your company. Have you posted your info or your company info publicly? I ask because the 'About Us' page is blank on your website. I understand if you do not want to do this, but it would add a level of transparency for someone who is selling funded physical bitcoins.

Nolacoins have been some of the most affordable coins out there.  There's very little markup for his existing coins over the stored bitcoin value.  I too hope for the same for the Silver, but obviously expect those will have some added costs due to Silver alone.

I am also looking forward to the new coins.

Your coin was featured in a segment about BTC on KCTV: http://www.kctv5.com/story/25568078/bitcoin-used-to-buy-500000-olathe-home

It really is a beautiful design. I can't wait for the silver coins. Hope the price isn't too steep though. Don't wanna pay more than 40% premium.

?? Any updates?

What are the limits to how many characters you can engrave on your coin?

did u make the .25 and .05 yet?

keeping prices at the same level for the moment with free USA shipping still going on.

The .25 and .05 are in production, but the silvers are on hold for the moment until I can move some more of the current coins.

Prices are going to be "adjusted" (means going up) soon because demand has picked up a bit and I need to manage the orders; so order now before that happens

How are those silver coins coming along? 

thanks!

bump for arashd since he hooked me up thanks

For my new self loaded cold storage coin that will be an option.

Is BIP38 an option?

got my coin thanks!

It's Mardi Gras day! Happy Carnival season to you and your loved ones and I hope everyone has a wonderful Lent season (if you partake). Free shipping on all USA orders until Wednesday

Mardi Gras weekend is upon us in New Orleans! Free Shipping on all coins in the USA until Fat Tuesday. International rates also lowered.

yours is on the way!

yup looks good cant wait to get mines

they look great!

I recently ordered and received these coins. They were funded as soon as I verified that they were received.

take advantage of lower bitcoin exchange rates, our premium for each coin remains low!
And remember, all early coin purchasers are eligible for a few coin when the new .25 and .05 coins hit the market!

Going into production soon, but still going to be at least a month before they are ready to sell. BUT, as stated above, I am going to give all my old customers who buy coins now new coins without any premium over the marked bitcoin value. This offer will run until further notice

I'm waiting to get my camera back so I can post some pictures but these are some really great looking coins! A lot bigger than I expected and they have a great weight to them.

arashd, do you have an idea of when you'll be offering the other coins? I'm not sure whether to buy more of your current stock or wait for the new ones.. heh 

Oh I got something coming soon I think you will like

Any chance you will be offering silver or gold coins?
I really like the design but would rather buy 1 oz silver coins.

My pleasure to help you! I am glad you are home safe now.

I am going to try and keep the .05 coin at a $10-15 premium over the bitcoin price. I need to add more decimal places to my shopping cart to make that possible given the current BTC conversion

whats the price on the .05 coin?

Brief outline of my order with Nolacoin:

1/25/14   - PMed arashd with a couple questions prior to order. Quick detailed response same day.
1/26/14   - Placed my order via his website - automated invoice emailed immediately with customer service contact numbers.
1/27/14   - Email received with tracking information
1/31/14   - UPS tried delivering the package, but no one was home to sign for it..
2/3/14    - Package received!  Checked blockchain, each coin funded with .01 as described
2/4/14    - PM sent, arashd had them fully funded within hours.

2/11/14  - Finally made it home myself(out of town working).   

I'm impressed on all fronts.   The coins are amazing.   You go pretty indepth about your laser system and I can see why. 

Can I pick up a 0.05 or 0.25 btc coin? Do you accept paypal? Looks awesome!

No apologize necessary! I am sorry you were inconvenienced. Still not totally sure what happened, but something happened on the back end that changed my tax settings. In any event, its all fixed now!
I hope you enjoy your coins!

I want to apologize to arashd for overreacting. I posted that he charged me sales tax when he shouldn't have and I accused him of being dishonest. It turns out that the sales tax was an accident and he refunded it immediately. I should have PMed him first with my objection instead of taking it public, and it would have been solved without any bad publicity.

No sales tax for me.

wow these coins really are beautiful

i will definitely be looking to get one when i get some btc

Totally an error!! You are the first order from California and I have no idea why the cart added sales tax. My previous customers can hopefully attest to the fact none of their orders were charged sales tax. I will refund you immediately.

It's probably been half a year but I transferred a firearm to an FFL and the dealer needed a total amount so they could tax the buyer accordingly. Not sure if it was state or city law or if the dealer was just a dick but it may be law somewhere. I've had this requested only twice out of many thousands of transactions tho so IDK

Good news. Excited to see the new coins!

Many of you have asked about the new lower denominations coins. As of now they are set to be a .05 and .25 coin. Going with a nice gold 24k plating for the .05 and dual ring for the .25 (rose gold, silver).
Anyone who buys/has already bought one of my existing coins (.50, 1, 3) will be eligible to get one of the newer coins for FREE at the face value of the coin with no premium. Ill keep this offer open until further notice. This is a reward for your early patronage.

Not really any guides per se, but it involved designing a coin and finding a mint to product them to your standards. The jewel of my operation really is my laser that allows me lots of flexibility on what I engrave on the coin and also the security that only I am the one who sees what goes behind the hologram. Cheaper lasers that can mark metal with a residue can run between $5K-10K, but my laser is a fiber laser that actually cuts/engraves metal so it was closer to a $30,000 all said and done.

Wow! Beautiful coins! So how did you get into this "hobby?" What kind of equipment would I need if I wanted to do something like this? Are there guides on how to create coins from scratch?

Correction on above, I have a .25 and .5 in the works. Gonna nix the .10, too crowded

Bar is coming, but need a few more months. It is hard to reconcile the demand for loaded coins and the demand for cold-storage only products. I am trying not to have to make a million different products because I am a small operation. For the time being other than the .25, .1, and .05 coins  (which will look similar to my current coins) I am working on a cold storage coins that will be totally customized for each customer. I am going to proceed with making the bar, however, just because I think they will look stunning and that is enough motivation for me I'm bound not to sell them all, but I enjoy the creative process so I'll keep at it.

Any updates on the bar? 

I should make an even bigger coin

These ship with fine plastic capsules, but there is a little extra space in them. If anyone is interested in a snugger fit, I can confirm that Air-Tite X43 capsules fit well, with only a tiny bit of extra space around the coin (in the pic it looks like a lot of space, but there's an inner ring actually holding the coin in place fairly closely):

Just to answer some more recurrent questions. This current line of coins I am not going offer to sell blanks or unfunded. I want to preserve the integrity of this line. Future coins are in the works for unfunded and customized funding denominations.

Thanks for the great comments. I am glad you like them

International Shipping is now LIVE on the website as well!

I received these yesterday, and they are beautiful. Really top-notch!

I opened one up to see how well it worked to scan the QR code off the metal:



There was a little residue at first, but some soap and water got it down to the mirror finish and I was able to easily swipe the key into my smartphone. This is a really slick design!



A couple more pictures here: http://object2212.com/?p=55

Thanks for making these!

You can just check the address on a site such as blockchain.info, it'll show the balance of the address.

I'm sorry if this seems like a silly question but can I check how many BTC are stored on the coin when I receive it? Not that I don't trust the integrity of your process but I would just like to make sure. Also, is it possible to add BTC on to the coin?

Thanks!

Is it possible to purchase empty coins?

  I received my first nola 1/2 coin last week, here is my impressions.


Feel: It has a 'real' coin feel to them, not a light, cheap feel.


Size: As you can see, bigger than most coins, more like the size of a silver 1oz round.


Detail: Very nice, sharp detail and clean mirrored finish. Really is proof quality.


My new favorite coin, at least until I get a 1 or 3 btc nola coin

Thanks! The designs obviously come from the same motivation, but I agree. The new coins are a more elegant in part due to their size and the space available to appreciate the logo and other elements.

Good for you buddy!

No offence to your last coins, but these are much sexier

I am glad you like them!

These look very nice.

I'm happy to report that I got my coins. These are even more beautiful in my hand!

Yea too bad they couldn't make it past that bad weather on Saturday, otherwise I am sure they would have won. 

I have some of your original coins from a few months ago! nice pieces!

These look good too!

<3 NOLA.

Go Saints. Who DAT! 

Yes you make a great point. These coins were designed and ordered back in the era of $70 Exchange rate! Amazing how far things have come!
I think 0.25 and 0.10 coins will be a great addition to the line.

The flexibility my laser affords me is also great for coins of custom denominations. I look forward to offering these as well.

Your prices are very reasonable.  I think you should focus on lower demonination coins, even if the purchaser has to pay a higher premium relative to the bitcoin value.  Just look at what Casascius 0.1 bitcoin silver rounds are going for...  The higher the value of bitcoin, the more nervous I am about owning a coin that could be counterfeited and is protected by a mere hologram sticker.

Hi

Have you thought of doing some 0.1 coins so they can be usded as gifts/tips?

Im looking to order one once ive gotten enough btc for it. estimated next week.

Posted some updated on the first post to answer some of the recurring questions that I have been asked. By all means, please send me any questions you may have.
I have also lowered the price of each coin by an additional 0.01

International orders will be added to site in about 1 week, but for now will be happy to process orders personally via PM as many of you have requested.

Pm'd regarding order to uk.   Thanks.

Thanks! I can certainly process your order myself for international shipping and I can do that for you via PM. I just need a week or so to figure some things before accepting it though the website.
The scratch off does not scratch accidentally, you really need a good swipe with a hard edge for it to come off. But I still recommend keeping it in the included case to help it keep its shine

Good to see you back!

Those coins look great, I do have some of your first coins and they are indeed High quality and well made.
Let us know when you can ship to uk and I will buy.




P.s how easy is it to scratch off? will It need to be keep in a case?

UPDATE 6/4/14 - The website is CLOSED for new orders as I prepare to leave New Orleans for sunny California. Rest assured my coins and business shall remain spirited by New Orleans and legally the business shall remain incorporated in Louisiana. Once I am settled, I will offer the same great coins and service, in addition to many new coins that are on the way! If you still want to place an order for a some coins (either funded or unfunded) you may do so via PM and until I actually pack up my laser, which wont be for another few weeks, I may be able to take your order. Thanks for everyones support for my coins and I look forward to getting started again from my new home.

UPDATE 2/6/14 - New lower denomination coins coming soon! Until further notice, anyone who purchases any of my existing coins can receive one of my new coins at face value. This applies to all previous purchases as well! This promotion will last until further notice. No need to do anything special, just remind me when the new coins are available of your purchase and I will have a BitPay link for you to pay face value for the coin. USA Shipping will be free, International at standard rates
UPDATE 1/23/14 - International Shipping now LIVE on the website
Per many of your requests, I will start shipping coins funded with only 0.01 BTC value to ensure the key pair is valid and works. Once the coins are DELIVERED to you (which is why all shipping services have delivery confirmation), the coins will be fully funded. This eliminates worries about lost packages or customs issues.

1/12/14 - Some updates and questions to answer after the first week. I appreciate everyone's PMs and helpful comments. I have dropped the price of each coin by an additional 0.01
1) YES I WILL SHIP INTERNATIONALLY. It is enabled on the website or you can order from me directly. Just PM me and I will take care of you
2) UPS ground shipping option has been corrected on the website for USA shipping
3) If there is a specific serial number you want, you can have it if it is available. All you have to do is ask
4) Many of you have asked for some more pictures to better see the shine of the hologram stickers, so I have posted some photos below of the coins with various light/flash to show that for you
4) Many of you have also asked about these coins actually being laser ENGRAVED. The answer to that is indeed YES! These coins are not marked with laser that removes an anodized finish or applies a lettering with marking solutions. My laser actually cuts into the metal & removes atoms of metal. This is a true engraving. The markings will not scratch or fade away. I may make a video and upload it.
6) Some of you want to buy my older coins as well, I do have a small amount of 10BTC novelty coins left from my old collection.
7 ) For security some of you want me to ship you coins unfunded and then fund them when delivery has been confirmed. I am happy to do that.
Lots of request for discounts or deal with larger orders have been made. Just PM me, I am happy to try and work with you.
9) Yes, I am the process of making a 0.25 coin
10) And to the surprise of many who want to sell me cool coin/bar designs, YES, I am actually interested. If you have designed a nice physical coin/bar, I am always looking for the next idea so I am interested is buying your artwork for use in coin/bar making. Next on the horizon is a silver bullion coin/bar without a denomination. It will be fully customized to your order with the amount of BTC you want on the coin/bar along with a few lines of text for whatever you want on the coin/bar.

I wanted to first thank the forum members here who have supported my desire to offer new physical coins by purchasing all of my old coins. The proceeds from those sales help fund the equipment necessary to make these new products a reality so I want to express my gratitude towards you.

After what seems like forever in development, if am ready to offer for sale three new physical coins. They are offered in three denominations: HALF, ONE, and THREE Bitcoin. My goal is offer elegant and beautiful coins and I think I was able to succeed with this goal. They feature the simple dual ring design, much like my old coins, but are much larger with a diameter of 4.3 cm. They are thick and are made a strong alloys depending on the coin. When you drop them, they have a nice sharp ring to them.

The HALF coin is made of brass and plated in a copper/gold alloy for a lovely rose gold color. The ONE coin is made of brass and plated with a nickel finish. The THREE coin is brass for the inner ring and zinc for the outer ring with nickel and gold platting respectively. Each coin is shipped within an individual clear plastic case.

Unlike my previous business model, these are traditional physical Bitcoins. On the front side of the coin features my NOLACOIN logo with public key laser engraved. Each coin is also individually numerated with a serial number. The HALF and ONE Bitcoin will be limited to 999 pieces and the THREE Bitcoin will be limited to 500 pieces. The back of each coins features a laser engraved QR code of the private key, with a private key also spelled out circumferentially around the QR code. The code is readable by all apps and phone types with QR code reading apps and scanners. The coins have a mirror finish, so the QR code is engraved using the inverse of the code.

My security sticker to protect the QR code features a central hologram sticker that is a scratch off. Much like a lottery ticket, it opaque material covers the code until it is scratched off. A second sticker (the gold one) is placed around the perimeter of the first scratch sticker. This sticker will leave residue behind on the surface of the coin and the edge of scratch sticker if tampered with. The intention of this sticker is to protect against tampering/lifting of the scratch sticker.

The laser marking/engraving of the coins is done by myself with a simply amazing machine that has be purchased and modified for this exact purpose by me. I am the only person with access to this machine and the accompanying control computer. The controlling computer requires my input of the private and public keys, which are done by onboard software in the most controlled manner. The computer has all the obvious and necessary security features to provide complete protection of the private keys. It is offline, never has been online, password protected, and is booted for each use from read only CDROM. The onboard memory of the laser itself has been modified by the manufacture at my request to allow additional cache wipes to ensure there is zero record of the private keys that it engraved on the coins.

There is NO relationship between the serial number of the coin and the private keys generated. If the coin is lost, the keys can’t be recovered and the value of that coin will be lost forever.

The laser itself is made in the USA, 10 watt Fiber laser specifically designed for engraving metals. This coins are not “marked”, which is to say a substance has been placed between the metal and the coin to leave black text which could be potentially rub off. These coins are truly engraved by the laser. The portion of the plating of the coin is removed, thus making the text/code. Nothing short of abrasive sand paper or other excessively destructive means would make the coin unreadable.

The coins are available for sale on my website now, www.nolacoin.com
All USA shipping will be UPS Ground service.
International Shipping with be with Priority Mail International Service with Delivery Confirmation
The information on the website has been kept intentional brief, since the quantity of these coins is so low, I would prefer to keep most of the information here on this this forum. So please forgive my amateur website. The shopping cart and shipping modules all work great, so its really just a vessel to keep the orders straight.

I will be happy to entrain the any larger or international orders privately via PM through the forum.

I can begin shipping right away, but will reserve a 1 week processing time before shipping for some of the later orders. Each coin is MADE TO ORDER. I do not have hundreds of these pre-engraved or funded for security reasons. Once your order is made, I will engrave the coin, fund it, and ship it.

I will try to keep these prices are reasonable as possible and as the exchange rate of Bitcoin to fiat changes, I will adjust as needed.

As of today the price for each coin are BTC0.53 , BTC1.04, and BTC3.05 . Shipping is BTC0.02 per order for USA and BTC0.05 for International.

Just a little bit about myself, my name is Arash Dini and I live in New Orleans, LA. I love this city and the spirit of New Orleans will be reflected in all my coins. The official business corporation of this endeavor is NOLACOIN LLC, registered in the state of Louisiana in 2011. The name of the LCC has been changed from The Bitcoin Exchange of New Orleans LLC to NOLACOIN LLC to reflect the change in business model that many of you know about from my previous coin offerings.
I enjoy the creation of the coins and design process and if these coins are all sold, I hope to design newer and different coins to suit the physical coin demand. I am an orthopaedic surgeon by day, and this endeavor serves as my hobby and thus my production will always be quite limited and I have no desire to expand. I do it because I love the idea of making these beautiful coins and rather than making thousands of the same coin, my business model will feature short runs of unique coins with new designs as my spare time permits.

Please send me any questions or comments you may have.