FYI... A while back, I requested a free 1-BTC BitCard that was being advertised by Global Standard Bank (http://www.globalstandardbank.com), one of these emerging Bitcoin Banks; apparently, they were giving them away as part of an introductory promotion.  I received my free card in the mail yesterday.  I haven't tried cashing it in yet, but here it is:



Some more information about how it works can be found on my latest Blog post, "Let's Get Physical" (http://minetopics.blogspot.com/2011/09/lets-get-physical.html).

Even more interesting than the BitCard itself, IMHO, is GSB's plan to offer a real Visa-logo credit/debit card ("iCard") which will presumably be backed by a demand deposit account at GSB that is denominated in Bitcoins.  I'm guessing they are planning to automatically convert the transaction amount from dollars (or whatever) to Bitcoins based on the exchange rate at the time the card is swiped, similarly to what happens when you swipe a dollar-denominated Visa card in the Eurozone (or vice-versa).  But I don't really know for sure.

Anyway, I was happy to receive my card and see that GSB's plans are still progressing.

Cheers, -Mike