The obverse depicts a classical female Liberty figure advancing forward, holding a pole in her left hand and extending a flowing banner in her right inscribed “LIBERTY OR DEATH.” Surrounding the central figure is a ring of stars, symbolizing Texas identity and independence. The commemorative dates “1836 1986” appear within the central cloud-like field. Relief is frosted against reflective background surfaces, consistent with proof-like striking.
The reverse carries a circular legend reading “.999 FINE SILVER” and “ONE TROY OUNCE.” Centered within a recessed, finely textured inner field is the date “1985” or "1986" positioned above a silhouette of the State of Texas. The outer ring is polished with raised lettering, contrasting with the matte interior field.
1985-86 Texas Lady Liberty Silver Round Overview
The 1985-86 Texas Lady Liberty Silver Round, part of the Texas 150th Anniversary Collection, is a 1 oz .999 fine silver commemorative marking the 150th anniversary of Texas independence. The obverse depicts a classical female Liberty figure advancing forward, holding a pole in her left hand and extending a banner inscribed “LIBERTY OR DEATH” in her right, within a ring of stars and the commemorative dates “1836 1986.” The reverse carries a Texas-silhouette device within a “.999 FINE SILVER · ONE TROY OUNCE” legend, struck in two separate dated variants — “1985” and “1986.”
1985-86 Texas Lady Liberty Silver Round Attribution
Mint is attributed to World Wide Mint (Bloomington, MN) on the basis of reverse-die linkage shared across the full Texas 150th Anniversary Collection; see the mint page for the underlying reasoning. Distributor is John Grayson (San Benito / Harlingen, TX), confirmed through period Coin World and Texas Monthly advertisements and corroborated by a firsthand account naming Grayson as a wholesale source supplying multiple area dealers; see the collection page for full sourcing.
1985-86 Texas Lady Liberty Silver Round Historical Significance
The figure on the obverse is a generic classical Liberty allegory, in the tradition of Columbia or Lady Liberty figures found throughout 19th-century American art and coinage — not a reproduction of any specific Texas Revolution artifact. Her banner’s motto, “LIBERTY OR DEATH,” is borrowed directly from a real and specific source, however: it was the inscription on the flag made by Joanna Troutman of Georgia in 1835 and presented to the Georgia Battalion of volunteers before they departed for Texas to join the Texian cause. The actual Troutman flag — a tricolor bearing a single star, with “Liberty or Death” lettered on one side — looked nothing like the figure shown here; this coin’s design takes the motto from that documented 1835 flag and attaches it to an unrelated, generic allegorical image rather than depicting the flag itself.
The pairing still carries real weight. “Liberty or Death” circulated widely as rhetoric among Texian volunteers during the Revolution, framing the conflict in the starkest possible terms — independence or annihilation — a framing borne out by the fall of the Alamo and the Goliad Massacre, where garrisons that chose to fight rather than surrender were killed to the last man. The allegorical Liberty figure, standing apart from any single battle or document, functions here as a summary image for the Revolution as a whole, gathering up a sentiment that ran through Gonzales, the Alamo, Goliad, and San Jacinto alike rather than illustrating any one of them.
1985-86 Texas Lady Liberty Silver Round Notes
- Two struck date variants exist: “1985” and “1986” on the reverse, reflecting the original and reissue years noted in the period sales brochure for the full 8-coin set
- See the Texas 150th Anniversary Collection page for the complete set, pricing, and distributor background
1985-86 Texas Lady Liberty Silver Round References
- World Wide Mint (Bloomington, MN), The Texas Stacker
- John Grayson (San Benito / Harlingen, TX), The Texas Stacker
- Texas 150th Anniversary Collection (1985–1986), The Texas Stacker
- Texas Stacker Archives
