This book takes the reader into the hidden workshop of the criminal forger, and explains the methods and techniques that every serious coin collector should know before they purchase a rare or expensive coin. The informational interviews Larson conducted with the infamous master forger, Mark Hofmann, at Utah State Prison in the late 1980s lay the foundation for a number of methods revealed in this book. Hofmann is widely known for his forgery of historical Mormon documents, but Hofmann's coin forgeries continue to serve as a note of caution and a source of frustration and embarassment to many collectors and dealers. Larson's book offers a detailed and brilliant approach to how rare coins are privately manufactured, and promises to forever change how collectors and dealers of rare coins understand and approach counterfeit detection.