How Rare Coin Expertise Can Pave the Way to a Lucrative Tech Expert Witness Career
September 17, 2025How Code Quality Audits Expose Hidden Risks in M&A Tech Due Diligence
September 17, 2025
As a CTO, I focus on aligning technology with business goals. Let me share how rare coin authentication mirrors strategic tech decisions around validation, risk, and resources.
Looking at discussions around the “silver no mint mark bicentennial quarter,” I’m struck by how similar the challenges are to what we face in tech leadership. Numismatists use multiple methods to verify rare coins—just as CTOs must validate technical claims before committing time and budget. Here’s how I see it.
1. Verification Protocols: Lessons for Tech Due Diligence
The Mint Mark Absence Conundrum
Missing mint marks raise authenticity flags—much like evaluating open-source libraries without clear documentation. Our technical due diligence includes:
- Reviewing code repository histories
- Running third-party security scans
- Benchmarking performance
- Checking licensing details
Weight and Edge Analysis as Technical Metrics
Numismatists inspect weight and edges meticulously. We apply the same care when:
“Reviewing cloud SLAs, we measure uptime, latency, and regional performance as thoroughly as a collector weighs a rare coin.”
2. Managing Claims of Exceptional Value
The “Mary Brook Connection” Problem
Stories linking coins to mint directors remind me of vendors boasting “ex-Google teams” or “proprietary tech.” We verify with:
- Hands-on technical reviews (not just credentials)
- Reference checks with verifiable history
- Testing in controlled settings
Budgeting for Authentication
We set aside 15-20% of major tech budgets for evaluation—similar to how collectors budget for professional grading.
3. Strategic Implications for Tech Leadership
Building Authentication into Roadmaps
Every tech roadmap now includes validation phases:
Q1 2024: Blockchain POC → Q2: Third-party audit → Q3: Pilot implementation
Team Composition Considerations
We’ve added “Technical Authenticator” roles—specialists skilled in analyzing:
- Vendor promises
- Performance data
- Security claims
4. Risk Management Frameworks
We’ve adopted a coin authentication mindset for risk:
| Coin Authentication Step | Tech Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Edge examination | API boundary testing |
| Weight verification | Load testing |
| Provenance research | Git commit history analysis |
Conclusion: Authentication as Strategic Advantage
Like rare coin experts, tech leaders need disciplined validation. Key takeaways:
- Question technical claims upfront
- Include verification in budgets and plans
- Build specialized review skills
- Create clear processes for assessing big promises
With AI-generated code and vendor hype everywhere, the careful methods of coin authentication offer smart guidance for making high-stakes tech decisions.
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