Don Casey - Silvex - Texas Mint

Don Casey SILVEX Texas Mint was located in Garland TX.

Overview

Don Casey SILVEX Texas Mint was a Texas-based silver reclamation and refining operation incorporated in 1974 and headquartered in Garland, Texas. The company operated during the height of the 1970s to the early 1990s precious-metals boom and is best known today for its role as the original, federally registered Texas Mint.

The firm specialized in recovering silver from photographic and industrial materials, a dominant source of secondary silver during the era. In addition to reclamation and refining, Don Casey Company produced poured silver bars and marketed Texas-themed bullion products that are now classified as vintage Texas private-mint silver.

Location

Garland, Texas, United States
Registered address documented at 213 Garvon, Garland, TX

Years of Operation

Founded: ~1974
Location: Garland, Texas
Business: silver reclamation and refining
Products: poured bars, bullion rounds
Associated name: Silvex Silver Systems
Related brand: Texas Mint rounds
Production peak: late 1970s–1980s
Closed: early 1990s

Silvex Silver Systems

Silvex Silver Systems was integrated into the Don Casey Company refining operation and appears as a counterstamp on some silver bars produced by the company. Silvex Systems also branded a 1 oz silver round. Surviving examples include poured bars in unusual weight classes such as approximately 5 oz, 7 oz, and 25 oz, which are now considered scarce vintage bullion pieces and are very popular.

Texas Mint Identity

In 1982, Don Casey Company formally adopted the assumed business names “Texas Mint” and “The Texas Mint.” These were not informal trade names but legally registered and federally protected brands.

The company held U.S. Patent and Trademark Office registrations for:

TEXAS MINT — Class 14 (precious metals, bullion, coinage)
TEXAS DOLLAR — Class 14
AG TECH DON CASEY COMPANY, INC. — Class 7 (industrial silver-recovery machinery)

These filings establish Don Casey Company as the earliest documented private entity to legally operate under the name “Texas Mint.”

Products & Output

Silver Reclamation: Photographic and industrial silver recovery
Bullion Products:
- Poured silver bars
- Commonly observed sizes: ~5 oz, ~7 oz, ~10 oz, ~25 oz
Branding:
- Silvex Silver Systems
- Don Casey Company
- Texas Mint / The Texas Mint
- Associated product branding: Texas Dollar

Surviving bars are now collected as vintage Texas private-mint bullion, prized for their documented provenance and limited production period.

Related Entities & Associations

Silvex Silver Systems — operational and business linkage documented
Dugan & Helterbrand Co., Inc. — direct historical connection noted in refining networks

These relationships place Don Casey Company within a core group of regional American silver refiners active during the 1970s–1980s.

Historical Significance

Don Casey Company occupies a foundational position in Texas numismatic history:

First legally registered Texas Mint
Early adopter of Texas-branded bullion and “Texas Dollar” identity
Vertically integrated operation combining silver recovery, refining, and minting
Key transitional link between industrial silver reclamation and collector bullion markets