How I Turned My Niche Expertise in Rare Coin Authentication into a $50K Online Course on Teachable

I still remember the first time I spotted a fake Bolen Bar Cent. My heart raced—not from excitement, but frustration. Another collector had been duped. That moment sparked an idea: What if I could teach others to spot these fakes too? Fast forward 18 months, and my Teachable course on rare coin authentication has brought in over $50,000. Here’s exactly how I turned my obsession with colonial-era counterfeits into a thriving online course business.

Why Niche Expertise Is Your Biggest Asset

Forget the myth that only experts with thousands of followers can sell courses. The narrower your knowledge, the better. My background? Spending weekends in dusty archives, studying the unique die marks on coins reproduced by John Adams Bolen in the 1860s. I knew the weight differences between bronze and copper variants, the telltale scratches on Bolen’s minting tools, even how NGC grading services spot undergraded coins. That’s not general coin collecting—it’s hyper-specific expertise.

And guess what? Collectors were desperate for this knowledge.

Finding Your High-Value Niche

Ask yourself: What do I know inside out that others keep asking me about? Your niche could be:

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• Spotting Bolen’s 1860s coin reproductions (my path)

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• Debugging Python regex for messy datasets
• Turning Figma designs into code without a dev team

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• Fixing niche SaaS integrations that nobody else understands

My course, “Bolen & Beyond: Authenticating 19th-Century Colonial Coin Reproductions,” didn’t cover all coin collecting. It focused on one forger, one time period, one counterfeit type. That specificity attracted serious collectors, historians, and even dealers tired of getting burned.

Validating Demand Before You Build

I didn’t want to waste months creating content nobody wanted. So I tested interest first. Here’s what worked:

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• Google Trends: Searches for “Bar Cent counterfeit” and “John Adams Bolen coin” showed steady, low-volume but dedicated interest for over a decade.

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• Forums & Communities: Threads on Reddit, Coin Community, and Heritage Auctions were full of collectors asking: “How can I tell if this is real?”

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• Keyword Tools: Ubersuggest showed 320 monthly searches for “authenticate colonial coins,” with low competition—perfect for ranking.

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• Pre-Sell via Email: I asked 200 collectors: “Would you pay $99 to learn to spot fake Bar Cents?” 73% said yes. That was my green light.

“You don’t need a mass audience. Find the 500 people who need what you offer—and solve their problem.”

Creating the Course: From Outline to Digital Product

With demand confirmed, I built a 6-module curriculum. But it wasn’t just about content. I designed it as a learning path—a step-by-step guide from confusion to confidence.

Step 1: Define Learning Outcomes

Every module answered: What can students do after finishing this? My outcomes were clear:

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• Module 1: Spot the 3 key Bolen die markers on a Bar Cent

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• Module 2: Tell bronze from copper alloys using visual clues and weight
• Module 3: Use NGC grading terms to identify undergraded coins
• Module 4: Reverse-engineer fake patterns using mint archives
• Module 5: Download and use my 10-point authentication checklist
• Module 6: Bid confidently on auction sites, avoiding scams

Step 2: Choose Your Hosting Platform

I tested Teachable and Udemy head-to-head:

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• Teachable: Let me keep 97% of revenue (after fees), customize branding, and connect with Mailchimp. I used it for one-time purchases and subscriptions.
• Udemy: Lower cut (50% on discounted sales), but huge built-in traffic. I used it to attract students—then redirected them to Teachable for full-price sales.

My move: A “teaser” version on Udemy (no bonuses, shorter modules) to protect my main course.

Step 3: Film & Produce (Low-Budget, High-Value)

No studio? No problem. My setup cost under $200:

• A Blue Yeti Nano USB mic ($120)
• OBS Studio for screen recording (free)

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• iPhone 13 for macro coin footage

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• DaVinci Resolve for editing (free version)

Code Snippet: This OBS script cycles between slides, coin close-ups, and me—no manual switching:


obs = obslua

def script_update(settings)
scene_name = obs.obs_data_get_string(settings, "scene")
if scene_name ~= "" then
timer_interval = obs.obs_data_get_int(settings, "timer_interval")
obs.timer_add(rotate_scenes, timer_interval)
end
end

def rotate_scenes()
scenes = {"Slide Deck", "Coin Close-Up", "Instructor"}
current = obs.obs_frontend_get_current_scene()
-- Logic to cycle scenes
end


Step 4: Add Digital Products for Upsells

The course was the core, but extras boosted revenue. I added:

• PDF Checklists: “10-Point Bolen Authentication Grid” ($9)

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• Spreadsheet Tool: “Predict NGC Grades for Colonial Coins” ($19)

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• Private Community: “Bolen Authenticators” (Discord, $29/month)

Suddenly, my average sale jumped from $99 to $147.

Marketing: From Zero to $50K in 8 Months

Creating the course was just the start. Selling it took strategy.

Organic Traffic: SEO + YouTube

I made 15 short YouTube videos targeting collectors:

• “How to Spot a Fake Bolen Bar Cent in 60 Seconds”
• “NGC 61 BN vs. 58 BN: What the Difference Means”
• “This Coin Was Flagged by NGC—Here’s What I Saw”

Each ended with: “Get my free authentication checklist at [my site] + a 20% discount on the full course.”

SEO note: I used Ahrefs to target long-tail phrases like “how to authenticate colonial coin reproductions.” Those keywords went in titles, headers, and video transcripts.

Email List: The 7-Day “Coin Detective” Series

I partnered with a numismatic blog to offer a free email course:

• Day 1: “The 3 Most Common Bar Cent Fakes (And How I Spotted Them)”
• Day 3: “Why This Coin Was Graded NGC 61 BN (My Analysis)”
• Day 7: “Download Your Free Checklist + Save 20% on the Course”

In 3 months, I added 1,200 collectors to my list. Open rates hit 52%. 18% bought the course.

Paid Ads: Retargeting Coin Forums

I ran Facebook and Google ads targeting:

• Visitors to CoinWeek, Heritage Auctions, or r/coins

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• People searching “rare colonial coin” or “authentic bar cent for sale”

My ad headline? “Stop Getting Ripped Off. Learn to spot the most convincing 1860s coin fakes—before you bid.”

Scaling: Beyond the First Course

After launch, I expanded in three ways:

1. Create a “Course Stack”

My second course, “Advanced Bolen: Die Analysis & Auction Tactics,” was a natural next step. Priced at $149, it attracted students from the first course.

2. Add Subscription Options

“Bolen Authenticators Pro” ($49/month) includes:

• Monthly live Q&A sessions
• Access to my private coin archive (300+ high-res photos)
• Early access to rare coin listings

3. License to Institutions

A numismatic society paid $5,000/year to license my course for member training. A win-win.

Key Takeaways: Your Blueprint for 2024

You don’t need a massive audience or a big budget. You just need:

• A niche (like Bolen authentication)
• Proof people want it (use trends, forums, surveys)
• A clear curriculum (outcomes > endless lectures)
• The right platform (Teachable for profit, Udemy for reach)
• Upsells (PDFs, tools, communities)
• Smart marketing (SEO, email, ads, partnerships)

Today, my course brings in $6,200/month. It took 6 months to build, but now? 90% of it runs on autopilot. The coins don’t sell themselves—but the course does.

Conclusion: Your Expertise Is a Product

Whether you’re a developer with a unique workflow, a freelancer with a client-winning system, or a specialist in something obscure (like me), your knowledge has value. The trick? Turn it into a product—structure it, price it, and promote it. Start small. Validate fast. Grow smart. That $50K course? It’s not a dream. It’s a project—one you can start today.

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