1986 The Alamo Gold Round
Depicts the historic Alamo mission façade in San Antonio, Texas. Surrounding inscriptions read TEXAS SESQUICENTENNIAL, CONTAINS ONE TROY OUNCE PURE GOLD, and REMEMBER THE ALAMO. A decorative denticle border encircles the design.
Features a large five-pointed Texas star surrounded by a wreath composed of olive and live oak branches. Surrounding inscriptions read THE LONE STAR STATE, TEXAS, 1836, 1845, and 1986. A matching denticle border completes the design.
Overview
The 1986 The Alamo Gold Round was issued by Lone Star Mint of Plano, Texas during the Texas Sesquicentennial celebration. Struck in gold and bearing the same basic design as the companion silver issue, the round features the Alamo façade on the obverse and a Lone Star wreath motif on the reverse. The issue appears to have been produced in extremely limited quantities, with very few examples presently documented.
Historical Context
In 1986, Texas commemorated the 150th anniversary of its independence from Mexico through the Texas Sesquicentennial celebration. Numerous commemorative medals, bullion rounds, and souvenir issues were produced by both public and private organizations throughout the state.
Lone Star Mint participated in the celebration through a series of Texas-themed bullion products. The Alamo design honored the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, one of the defining events of the Texas Revolution and a lasting symbol of sacrifice and independence in Texas history.
While the silver version of this design is documented, the gold issue appears to be significantly scarcer. As of this writing, only a small number of specimens have been identified by researchers, suggesting a limited production run or specialized distribution.
Notes
A documented specimen weighs 34.52 grams and tests within Sigma Metalytics parameters for 22K (.9167) gold. The observed weight and Sigma results indicate the round was struck in a 22K gold alloy despite the obverse inscription stating “CONTAINS ONE TROY OUNCE PURE GOLD.”
Based on the documented specimen weight and observed fineness, the round contains approximately 1.017 troy ounces of actual gold content.
The issue remains poorly documented. At present, only a very small number of examples have been identified by researchers, and no official mintage figures, marketing materials, or distribution records have been located.
References
Documented specimen examination and Sigma Metalytics testing.
Companion 1986 The Alamo Silver Round attributed to Lone Star Mint.
Texas Sesquicentennial commemorative issues, 1986.
