How I Turned My Expertise in Rare Coin Hunting (Like the 1937 Washington Quarter DDO) Into a $50,000 Online Course
October 1, 2025How Deep Knowledge of Rare Artifacts Like the 1937 Washington Quarter DDO Can Launch Your Career as a Tech Expert Witness
October 1, 2025Writing a technical book isn’t just about sharing knowledge — it’s about crystallizing your expertise into something tangible. I want to take you behind the scenes of how I transformed my coin-collecting hobby into Cherrypick Analysis: Technical Frameworks for Identifying Rare Die Varieties in U.S. Coinage, published by O’Reilly. No corporate fluff. Just the real journey of turning passion into a technical manuscript.
Why Technical Books Are Your Ultimate Thought Leadership Weapon
Let me be blunt: writing a technical book changed my career. As someone who spent years in the trenches of numismatics, I can tell you nothing builds authority like holding your own published work in your hands.
When I started writing my book, I didn’t want to just show off my coin collection. I wanted to teach readers how to find what I found. That shift — from “look at this” to “here’s how you can do it too” — is what separates hobbyists from technical authors.
My book isn’t about coins. It’s about building reproducible technical frameworks — the same skill that makes engineers, data scientists, and financial analysts valuable in their fields.
The Power of Domain-Specific Technical Authority
Stop thinking your expertise isn’t “book worthy.” I’ve worked with engineers documenting Kubernetes patterns, security experts writing about zero-trust frameworks, and even a chef who turned his fusion recipes into a technical manual.
Publishers like O’Reilly, Manning, and Apress are hunting for the same thing: people who can:
- Turn years of experience into systematic knowledge
- Break down intuitive skills into teachable steps
- Show their work, not just the results
- Document real-world applications with precision
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My “aha” moment? Realizing that my obsessive habit of examining every coin at shows wasn’t just collecting. It was a technical analysis method I’d built without realizing it. That’s when the book idea clicked.
Structuring a Technical Book Around a Niche Topic
Forget writing the “definitive guide.” That’s overwhelming and rarely works. I focused on what I call the Technical Depth + Methodology + Case Studies triangle. Here’s how it works:
1. Define Your Core Technical Framework
Every great technical book has a spine. For me, it was the CRISP-Cherrypick framework:
C – Catalog & Contextualize (know the known varieties and their market value)
R – Review & Retrace (inspect from multiple angles, distances, lighting)
I – Image & Isolate (use digital tools to magnify and compare)
S – Signature Mark Mapping (document die markers and doubling characteristics)
P – Provenance & Predictive Analysis (trace acquisition path and grade potential)
This became my book’s DNA. Each chapter dives into one component, complete with exercises based on real finds — like how I nearly missed the 1937 Washington Quarter DDO (FS-101) because I rushed my first pass through a dealer’s case.
2. Build Chapter Architecture Around Technical Workflows
Think like a teacher, not a writer. Each chapter should give readers a concrete skill they can use immediately. Some real examples from my book:
- Chapter 4: Digital Microscopy for Coin Analysis
— Includes code for image stacking:
import cv2
import numpy as np
# Stack 10 images for enhanced detail
images = [cv2.imread(f'coin_shot_{i}.jpg') for i in range(10)]
aligned_images = align_images(images) # Custom function
stacked = np.median(aligned_images, axis=0)
- Chapter 7: Grading Submission Strategy
— Decision trees for PCGS vs. NGC submissions
— When to pay for “Gold Shield” service (and when to skip it) - Chapter 9: Die State Analysis
— Reading die cracks, clashes, and lamination errors like a forensic analyst
3. Use Case Studies as Technical Proof
Every chapter ends with a real story — but not “I got lucky” tales. These are technical deconstructions:
- How my lighting setup (a $20 phone clip-on lens + angled flashlight) revealed the
IGWT doublingon the 1937 quarter - Why I prioritized submitting the 1937 DDO over a more expensive find, using market data and die state analysis
- How the
die crack from rim through UNITEDon my 1845 Seated Dime became my secret weapon at PCGS grading
Pitching Publishers: O’Reilly, Manning, Apress — What They Want
After co-authoring with O’Reilly (yes, the “animal book” people), I understand what makes editors say “yes.” Here’s the real playbook:
1. The “Problem-Solution-Benefit” Pitch
Stop pitching “a book about X.” Start with the pain point:
Problem: 95% of rare die varieties escape detection because collectors lack systematic methods.
Solution: CRISP-Cherrypick provides a technical, repeatable process for identification and validation.
Benefit: Readers gain skills to profit from their collections — turning hobby time into cash flow.
2. Audience Positioning
Be specific. I targeted:
- Intermediate collectors (folks who know varieties but want systematic methods)
- Coin dealers who need to train their grading eye
- Numismatic investors hunting undervalued assets
For O’Reilly, I stressed the technical upskilling angle — this wasn’t just another price guide, but a hands-on manual.
3. Competitive Analysis
Show you know the market. I pointed out:
- Standard Catalog of U.S. Coins lists varieties but doesn’t teach spotting techniques
- The Cherrypickers’ Guide relies on anecdotes, not repeatable methods
- Zero books covered digital analysis, image processing, or submission economics
4. Chapter Outline with Learning Objectives
Publishers care about teachability. For each chapter, I listed outcomes:
- “After this chapter, readers will be able to:”
- Use lighting angles to reveal die doubling
- Document die markers for grading services
- Build a submission cost-benefit model
Building an Audience While You Write
Publishers want more than a great idea — they want a ready-made audience. I started 18 months before writing:
1. The “Teaser” Content Strategy
I shared more than just photos. I posted:
- “Case Study: How I Found a 1937 DDO in a Dealer’s Case” — complete with technical analysis
- “3 Lighting Setups That Reveal Doubling” — with DIY diagrams
- “Why I Submitted This 1845 Seated Dime Before That 1937 Quarter” — a behind-the-scenes grading decision
2. Lead Magnet Funnel
My free PDF, “The 7-Step Cherrypick Checklist” (based on CRISP-Cherrypick), built an email list of 4,200+ collectors in six months. All future book buyers.
3. Publisher Outreach with Audience Data
When I pitched O’Reilly, I included:
- Email list size and engagement (coin collectors read everything I send)
- Social reach across LinkedIn, Instagram (yes, coin photos go there), and YouTube
- Speaking engagements at major coin shows
This proved demand — a key factor in their “yes.”
Navigating the Writing and Review Process
1. O’Reilly’s Editorial Workflow
- Acquisitions Editor — bought into the problem-solution pitch
- Developmental Editor — helped structure chapters for optimal learning flow
- Technical Reviewer — a PCGS grader who verified every claim
- Production Team — turned my messy sketches into professional illustrations
2. Managing the 12-Month Timeline
Writing takes time. My realistic schedule:
| Month | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | Finalize proposal and chapter outline |
| 3-5 | Write first 3 chapters (core framework) |
| 6-8 | Write middle chapters (case studies, tools) |
| 9-10 | Write final chapters (submission strategy, market trends) |
| 11 | Technical review and revisions |
| 12 | Final proofing and publication |
3. Handling Technical Reviews
When my technical reviewer challenged my analysis of the 1937 DDO's doubling pattern, I didn’t argue. I:
- Shared TrueView images from PCGS
- Let them run my image-stacking code
- Added peer-reviewed die stage analysis from academic numismatic journals
This strengthened the book’s credibility — and taught me the value of verifiable claims.
Conclusion: From Hobby to Authority
My journey began with a single coin — the 1937 Washington Quarter DDO (FS-101) — and ended with a publisher knocking at my door. The lesson? Every expertise can be systematized and taught.
Whether you’re:
- A CTO documenting your distributed system architecture
- A VC analyzing startup failure patterns
- A freelancer with a unique client onboarding process
you have a book inside you.
Keep these in mind:
- Focus on methodology, not just content — teach skills, not just facts
- Build audience first — publishers want readers, not just ideas
- Use case studies as technical proof — real examples build trust
- Choose the right publisher — O’Reilly for deep tech, Manning for developers, Apress for applied topics
- Think like a teacher — every chapter should end with “Now you can do this”
The next time you solve a hard problem, ask yourself: “Could I teach this to someone else?” If the answer is yes, you might already be holding your first draft.
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