Self-Published Books

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Since AI became prevalent in the past few years, self-published error coin guides of questionable quality have exploded on Amazon. They continue to be published in record numbers, although there is no reliable way to determine the exact number. I spent two years meticulously tracking the Best Seller Ranking (BSR), daily review volume, and overall review ratings of 187 books that I identified through targeted keyword searches. Most of these texts are obscure, with BSRs in the millions, resulting in low profit for the seller. Only about 4 percent have a BSR of less than 35,000 that would indicate profitability; however, these books are questionable, with the exception of a legitimate work by Ken Potter and Brian Allen, both well-known numismatists.

Profit varies widely depending on pricing and page count. A simple estimate uses a printing cost of roughly $0.017 per page, minus Amazon’s 60 percent cut. For example, a 243-page book priced at $15.97 would net about $5.66 in profit. Shorter books have increased margins: a 120-page version of the same title could yield over $10 per sale. This economic incentive explains why many low-effort guides are kept short.

Low Barrier to Entry

Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform has an extremely low barrier to entry, making it easy to produce and sell low-quality material. Unfortunately, this has encouraged widespread dishonesty—likely affecting the vast majority of books in this niche. Compounding the issue, KDP offers limited support and little transparency when concerns are reported.

While Amazon’s ranking algorithm is opaque, two factors clearly drive performance: aggressive advertising and a steady stream of reviews. This has led to widespread manipulation. However, several red flags indicate a book has been written by AI or a foreign entity—including unnatural sentence structures, run-on sentences, and oddly misplaced words such as “flan” (a British word for planchet).

What to Look Out for

British-Sounding Names: A striking pattern is the prevalence of authors with British-sounding surnames. Among the top 18 books I examined, all used such names, and roughly 85 percent of the broader sample followed this trend. This strongly suggests the use of pseudonyms, often used by overseas entities.

Review Farming: Some books accumulate unusually high numbers of reviews in short periods. For instance, hundreds of reviews appearing within weeks—or consistent daily averages far above normal—indicate likely manipulation or incentivized activity. Evidence suggests that the same small group of 15 accounts repeatedly posted glowing reviews across multiple titles. While Amazon has removed some offending books, they often reappear under new listings with minor changes to reset review counts and evade detection.

Cover Design Patterns: Many of these guides share similar covers—black backgrounds, gold and white lettering, and red accents. A growing trend is the use of the American flag, which appears in half of the top titles. This tactic leverages patriotism to build trust in a U.S.-centric hobby.

“Books in One” and Bonus Claims: Covers frequently promote bundles such as “3 in 1” or “9 in 1,” along with “exclusive bonuses.” These claims are designed to create a perception of exceptional value, regardless of actual content quality.

Fake Editorial Reviews: Many books include endorsements attributed to unverifiable sources—defunct websites, unknown publications, or non-existent experts. In every case examined, I could not confirm their validity. 

Stock Author Photos: Another recurring tactic is the use of stock images, often an elderly man smiling while he examines coins. These images are meant to evoke trust and experience but are typically generic and outdated.

Unverified Expertise: Authors frequently claim to be recognized experts, researchers, or lecturers without supporting evidence. Searches across numismatic organizations, publications, and forums reveal no trace of these purported individuals. In contrast, legitimate experts like Ken Potter and Bill Fivaz have verifiable credentials, affiliations, and long-standing contributions to the field.

Recycled Content: Most of these books focus on the same well-known coins. Images are often taken from auction sites like Heritage Auctions or eBay, sometimes appearing across multiple books under different author names.

Low Page Counts: To maximize profit, many guides are limited to 80-120 pages and are often filled with large fonts, repetitive content, and low-resolution images.

Keyword and Financial Hype: Titles and descriptions rely heavily on phrases promising easy financial gain, such as, “Turn pocket change into profit,” “You have overlooked rare varieties,” and “Spot hidden gems in unexpected places.” This language lures inexperienced buyers with promises of financial gain.

Top Performers: The top-ranked books consistently exhibit many of these red flags: templated covers, patriotic imagery, bundled claims, profit-hype keywords, fake editorials, and fabricated expertise. They also show unusually high review activity inconsistent with sales. Despite BSRs suggesting hundreds of monthly sales, the review patterns indicate manipulation rather than genuine demand. By comparison, established titles like Strike It Rich with Pocket Change by Ken Potter and Brian Allen sell around 700 copies per month—a believable figure supported by its decades-long reputation, community endorsement, and absence of manipulative tactics. Aggressive advertising, review farming, and algorithmic gaming can artificially inflate rankings for low-quality titles, misleading buyers into assuming high sales reflect genuine demand and value. 

Hobbyists need to be aware of the proliferation of AI-generated error coin guides and steer clear of those titles that employ deceptive practices to increase sales. 

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A version of this article appears in the June 2026 issue of The Numismatist (money.org)