user2306: Several interesting applications of bitcoins involve a scenario where they are intentionally "destroyed".  Is there an open source tool that can be used to destroy bitcoins?
And if so, is it possible to programmatically verify (via the same tool or another) that the bitcoins have indeed been destroyed?

user1611: Why destroy the coins? 
This post at bitcointalk.org discusses using Bitcoin for email micropostage, in a similar way to Hashcash.

user575: The most secure way to destroy bitcoins is to send them to a script that can never return true, and which includes the reference code that confirms the goal of destroying these coins. I don't know of readily available software tools that can do that, and I'm not sure the network will accept these transactions.
Here's a simple method everyone can try at home: Take the reference code, apply RIPEMD-160 and encode it as an address. Do a transaction which sends a satoshi to this address, and the the coins-to-destroy to 1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSendf59kuE.
To demonstrate my point, here is me destroying 1 mBTC - http://blockchain.info/tx/f374fb91ea29b02d295d535da537c7770caa71c4937095c51467b4d8b1b60c1b. Address is hash of https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/7443/575.
Signing a message with the address used to send can also be employed as extra verification.

2306: <p>Several interesting applications of bitcoins involve a scenario where they are <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3228/why-destroy-bitcoins">intentionally "destroyed"</a>.  Is there an open source tool that can be used to destroy bitcoins?</p>

<p>And if so, is it possible to programmatically verify (via the same tool or another) that the bitcoins have indeed been destroyed?</p>
 1611: <p>Why destroy the coins? </p>

<p><a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=75933.0" rel="nofollow">This post at bitcointalk.org</a> discusses using Bitcoin for email micropostage, in a similar way to <a href="http://www.hashcash.org/" rel="nofollow">Hashcash</a>.</p>
 575: <p>The most secure way to destroy bitcoins is to send them to a script that can never return true, and which includes the reference code that confirms the goal of destroying these coins. I don't know of readily available software tools that can do that, and I'm not sure the network will accept these transactions.</p>

<p>Here's a simple method everyone can try at home: Take the reference code, apply RIPEMD-160 and encode it as an address. Do a transaction which sends a satoshi to this address, and the the coins-to-destroy to 1BitcoinEaterAddressDontSendf59kuE.</p>

<p>To demonstrate my point, here is me destroying 1 mBTC - <a href="http://blockchain.info/tx/f374fb91ea29b02d295d535da537c7770caa71c4937095c51467b4d8b1b60c1b" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://blockchain.info/tx/f374fb91ea29b02d295d535da537c7770caa71c4937095c51467b4d8b1b60c1b</a>. Address is hash of <a href="https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/7443/575">https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/a/7443/575</a>.</p>

<p>Signing a message with the address used to send can also be employed as extra verification.</p>
