How I Wrote a Technical Book on Rare Coin Authentication: A Guide for Aspiring Authors

From Coin Enthusiast to Published Technical Author

When I first held that suspicious bicentennial quarter in my hands, I never imagined it would lead to writing a technical book. But there I was, years later, signing a contract with O’Reilly. The journey taught me that technical writing isn’t just about expertise—it’s about solving real problems for readers. Here’s how I turned my coin authentication knowledge into a published work.

Spotting the Need for Better Information

Forum threads about rare coins made me cringe. Too many collectors were relying on guesswork instead of proper authentication techniques. I kept seeing the same questions:

• “How do you verify edge lettering?”
• “What’s the exact weight tolerance for a silver quarter?”
• “Why does my XRF reading seem off?”

That’s when I realized: someone needed to document this properly. So I did.

Why a Book Was the Right Solution

Three lightbulb moments convinced me:

• My notebooks were full of tested authentication methods no one had published
• Collectors kept getting burned by counterfeit coins
• Publishers told me “we don’t have anything technical on this”

Building the Book’s Structure

I organized the content like I would teach a workshop—starting simple, then building complexity.

1. Authentication Fundamentals

Even basic weight checks need proper documentation. Here’s the actual Python code I used:


# Real-world weight verification
def authenticate_coin(expected_weight, tolerance, measured_weight):
return abs(expected_weight - measured_weight) <= tolerance

2. Real Coin Examples

Nothing teaches like concrete examples. We included macro photos showing exactly how to spot fake bicentennial quarters—right down to the reeding patterns.

3. Lab-Grade Techniques

This section covered the heavy stuff: interpreting spectrometer readings, analyzing metal composition, even detecting artificial toning.

The Publisher Pitch That Worked

My successful proposal focused on three key points:

• The $3B collectibles market had no technical manuals
• I'd already built case studies from 200+ authentic coins
• My method combined traditional numismatics with modern tech

The Winning Angle

This sentence sealed the deal in my cover letter:

"Coin collectors deserve lab-grade authentication methods, not forum speculation—let me give them the manual we all wish we had."

Writing While Building Credibility

During those long writing months, I:

• Published in the Journal of Numismatic Research
• Shared verification algorithms on GitHub
• Spoke at collector conventions (coffee became my best friend)

Hard-Won Publishing Lessons

Editing Technical Content

The O'Reilly team was brilliant at asking "But why does this matter to the reader?" They helped me turn dense material into practical guidance.

Visuals Make or Break It

We spent weeks photographing coin edges under different lights. One shot of a genuine 1976-S quarter's mint mark took 37 tries to get right.

Life After Publication

The book was just the beginning. Next came:

• A web app that automated basic authentications
• Workshops teaching forensic techniques
• Court cases where my book became evidence

Your Turn to Write

If you're sitting on specialized knowledge, here's what I learned:

• Solve a real problem you've personally struggled with
• Structure it like you're teaching a colleague
• Choose a publisher who gets your audience
• Plan how the book will live beyond its pages

Writing that first technical book changed everything for me. It wasn't easy—countless late nights, frustrating rewrites, moments of doubt. But when a reader emails saying "your method caught my fake coin," every hour was worth it.

Related Resources

You might also find these related articles helpful:

• How I Turned Rare Coin Expertise into a $50K Online Course (And How You Can Too) - How I Turned My Coin Obsession Into $50K (And You Can Too) I never imagined my weekends spent hunting for rare coins wou...
• Beyond the Hype: How Advanced Logistics Software Can Transform Your Supply Chain Like a Rare Coin Discovery - Logistics Software: Your Hidden Treasure for Cost Savings Think of your logistics operation like a rare coin collection....
• Optimizing AAA Game Engines: High-Performance Techniques Inspired by Precision Craftsmanship - Building AAA games is like tuning a high-performance engine – every optimization matters. Let me share real-world techni...