user124842: I copied my private key to a file and I can't remember what the string begins with. Can you help me by giving me the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start. This is a bitcoin key from 2011/2012.

user5750: Ian's BIP39 site will show you an example of pretty much every coins private key format.  Technically these are WIF encoded private keys, but I assume these are what you mean.

https://iancoleman.io/bip39/


user13866: 
[what are] the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start.

I have this note from https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes




Decimal prefix
Hex
Example use
Leading symbol(s)
Example




128
80
Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey)
5
5Hwgr3u458GLafKBgxtssHSPqJnYoGrSzgQsPwLFhLNYskDPyyA


128
80
Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey)
K or L
L1aW4aubDFB7yfras2S1mN3bqg9nwySY8nkoLmJebSLD5BWv3ENZ


4 136 173 228
0488ADE4
BIP32 private key
xprv
xprv9s21ZrQH143K24Mfq5zL5MhWK9hUhhGbd45hLXo2Pq2oqzMMo63o StZzF93Y5wvzdUayhgkkFoicQZcP3y52uPPxFnfoLZB21Teqt1VvEHx


239
EF
Testnet Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey)
9
92Pg46rUhgTT7romnV7iGW6W1gbGdeezqdbJCzShkCsYNzyyNcc


239
EF
Testnet Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey)
c
cNJFgo1driFnPcBdBX8BrJrpxchBWXwXCvNH5SoSkdcF6JXXwHMm


4 53 131 148
04358394
Testnet BIP32 private key
tprv
tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcsbCVeqqF1KVdH7gwDJbxbzpCxDUsoXHdb6SnTPY xdwSAKDC6KKJzv7khnNWRAJQsRA8BBQyiSfYnRt6zuu4vZQGKjeW4YF




124842: <p>I copied my private key to a file and I can't remember what the string begins with. Can you help me by giving me the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start. This is a bitcoin key from 2011/2012.</p>
 5750: <p>Ian's BIP39 site will show you an example of pretty much every coins private key format.  Technically these are WIF encoded private keys, but I assume these are what you mean.</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://iancoleman.io/bip39/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://iancoleman.io/bip39/</a></li>
</ul>
 13866: <blockquote>
<p><strong>[what are] the different types of private key: number of characters and and with which characters the private keys start.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>I have this note from <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_address_prefixes</a></p>
<div class="s-table-container">
<table class="s-table">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Decimal prefix</th>
<th>Hex</th>
<th>Example use</th>
<th>Leading symbol(s)</th>
<th>Example</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>128</td>
<td>80</td>
<td>Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey)</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>5Hwgr3u458GLafKBgxtssHSPqJnYoGrSzgQsPwLFhLNYskDPyyA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>128</td>
<td>80</td>
<td>Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey)</td>
<td>K or L</td>
<td>L1aW4aubDFB7yfras2S1mN3bqg9nwySY8nkoLmJebSLD5BWv3ENZ</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4 136 173 228</td>
<td>0488ADE4</td>
<td>BIP32 private key</td>
<td>xprv</td>
<td>xprv9s21ZrQH143K24Mfq5zL5MhWK9hUhhGbd45hLXo2Pq2oqzMMo63o StZzF93Y5wvzdUayhgkkFoicQZcP3y52uPPxFnfoLZB21Teqt1VvEHx</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>239</td>
<td>EF</td>
<td>Testnet Private key (WIF, uncompressed pubkey)</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>92Pg46rUhgTT7romnV7iGW6W1gbGdeezqdbJCzShkCsYNzyyNcc</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>239</td>
<td>EF</td>
<td>Testnet Private key (WIF, compressed pubkey)</td>
<td>c</td>
<td>cNJFgo1driFnPcBdBX8BrJrpxchBWXwXCvNH5SoSkdcF6JXXwHMm</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>4 53 131 148</td>
<td>04358394</td>
<td>Testnet BIP32 private key</td>
<td>tprv</td>
<td>tprv8ZgxMBicQKsPcsbCVeqqF1KVdH7gwDJbxbzpCxDUsoXHdb6SnTPY xdwSAKDC6KKJzv7khnNWRAJQsRA8BBQyiSfYnRt6zuu4vZQGKjeW4YF</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>