LC, is the chain of custody for this coin confirmed to be Maker -> LC -> Snarf -> Dad?
Or is the coin in question from the ebay seller? The thread doesn't really confirm it came from you. Also, I could not find ebay seller that OP posted, powercoin_it. However, powercoin_italy does exist and sells many coins...
Also, where did you buy these coins?
My Binary Eagle I bought in Nov 2017 from an eBay seller. I bought a Binary Bull in October on eBay from powercoin_it as a pre-order and it was shipped in Nov 2019. I bought 2 more Binary Bulls from Lesbian Cow on the forum here on Nov 2019.
SatoshiLite brought up an interesting point with the possibility of mismatched/swapped keys & holos by accident by the manufacturer. However, if that were in fact the case, then why send back the original load amount? If you peel a coin and find extra sats that aren't supposed to be there do you send anything back to that address? Me thinking no. ESPECIALLY if the address you just swept DOES NOT MATCH what is printed on your coin!! This is a severe red flag and cannot be understated.
The theory could obviously be tested by peeling the coin that LC sent back to maker and sweeping that key to see what comes of it. Still doesn't explain why the original load amount was sent back tho.
If the chain of custody is confirmed, then there are only two possibilities imo. 1. Op is lying for some odd/no reason/sabotage. For the record I do not think this is the case. But I am curious to hear how Snarf came to learn the coin was swept a few weeks earlier?
2. Manufacturing process is flawed.
I learned that the hologram and assembly was done by "another firm" but that is all I know.
In which case, they are all compromised. Otherwise it would be quite the coincidence that the one coin that was compromised was also the one coin that had additional btc loaded onto it. Unlikley. I also find it rather convenient that compromised keys came equipped with a private key puzzle that needed solving, making it harder to redeem by normies like myself. (awesome work cwil). Is it possible to find out why the keys were generated as such?
Btw, the swept funds have still not moved...
https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/16HvqDCxg3QxYHuugHGJ7jwqCScxfnVTgS