diff --git a/coinkit/privatekey.py b/coinkit/privatekey.py
index 32ca007..2d5c538 100644
--- a/coinkit/privatekey.py
+++ b/coinkit/privatekey.py
@@ -27,9 +27,12 @@ class BitcoinPrivateKey():
     def wif_version_byte(cls):
         return (cls._pubkeyhash_version_byte + 128) % 256
 
-    def __init__(self, private_key=None):
+    def __init__(self, private_key=None, pubkeyhash_version_byte = 0, wif_version_byte=None):
         """ Takes in a private key/secret exponent.
         """
+        self._pubkeyhash_version_byte = pubkeyhash_version_byte
+        self._wif_version_byte = wif_version_byte
+
         if not private_key:
             secret_exponent = random_secret_exponent(self._curve.order)
         elif is_int(private_key):
@@ -74,8 +77,12 @@ def to_hex(self):
         return binascii.hexlify(self.to_bin())
 
     def to_wif(self):
+        if self._wif_version_byte is None:
+            wif_byte = self.wif_version_byte()
+        else:
+            wif_byte = self._wif_version_byte
         return b58check_encode(self.to_bin(),
-            version_byte=self.wif_version_byte())
+            version_byte=wif_byte)
 
     def public_key(self):
         # lazily calculate and set the public key
@@ -92,6 +99,10 @@ def passphrase(self):
         else:
             raise Exception(_errors["NOT_A_BRAIN_WALLET"])
 
+class CoinPrivateKey(BitcoinPrivateKey):
+    def __init__(self, private_key=None, pubkeyhash_version_byte=0, wif_version_byte=None):
+        BitcoinPrivateKey.__init__(self, private_key, pubkeyhash_version_byte, wif_version_byte)
+
 class LitecoinPrivateKey(BitcoinPrivateKey):
     _pubkeyhash_version_byte = 48
 
diff --git a/coinkit/publickey.py b/coinkit/publickey.py
index d680c4d..978c8d0 100644
--- a/coinkit/publickey.py
+++ b/coinkit/publickey.py
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ def address(self):
         """ The address is the hash160 in b58check format. """
         return self._hash160.address()
 
+class CoinPublicKey(BitcoinPublicKey):
+    def __init__(self, public_key, version_byte = 0):
+        BitcoinPublicKey.__init__(self, public_key, version_byte)
+
 class LitecoinPublicKey(BitcoinPublicKey):
     _version_byte = 48