The obverse features an engraved view of the Texas State Capitol building in Austin, shown from the front elevation. The structure is rendered with fine architectural engraving including the central dome, façade columns, and roofline details. Surrounding the building is a circular legend referencing the dedication of the Texas State Capitol, commemorating the opening of the building on May 16, 1888. The layout mirrors the design used on the original 1888 dedication souvenir badge.
The 1888 Texas Capitol Dedication Medal reverse reproduces the historic inscription used on the original dedication medal, arranged within a circular border: DEDICATION OF THE TEXAS STATE CAPITOL, OFFICIAL SOUVENIR, PATENTED DEC. 6, 1887 AUSTIN TEXAS, MAY 16, 1888. The inscription references the design patent issued December 6, 1887, which protected the ornamental layout of the original souvenir badge.
Struck by Medallic Art Company (Danbury, Connecticut), as confirmed by original presentation packaging and certificate. Distributed by Texas State Mint (Colonial Coins, Houston, Texas). Original 1888 souvenir badges often include the inscription “Patented Dec. 6, 1887.” The patent corresponds to Design Patent D17,920 – Badge or Medal – John Wharton Marcy – Austin, Texas. The centennial medal appears to be a direct reproduction of the original badge design rather than a newly created commemorative layout. Primary sources: Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent Office, Dec 6 1887 — Design Patent D17,920. Texas State Archives artifact description — Texas Capitol dedication souvenir medal.
The 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial round is a well-known 2 oz commemorative marking the Capitol's 100th anniversary, popular with Texas collectors. It surfaces a few times a year, with recent prices well above its 2016-2018 range.
| Date | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2025 | 150.00 | Most Recent |
| Jun 22, 2025 | 207.99 | Highest EverUnverifiedHighest price by far vs. rest of dataset; real sale kept as-is |
| Apr 30, 2025 | 99.99 | |
| Jan 18, 2025 | 70.00 | |
| Dec 11, 2023 | 78.77 | |
| Aug 4, 2020 | 66.00 | UnverifiedTitle gives no year; generic '2oz Texas medallion' |
| Apr 25, 2020 | 75.00 | |
| Feb 18, 2018 | 14.99 | |
| Jan 14, 2018 | 19.99 | |
| Dec 6, 2017 | 17.99 | |
| Sep 10, 2016 | 40.00 | |
| Sep 6, 2016 | 75.20 | |
| Nov 7, 2014 | 56.77 |
Scroll for full 13-sale history ↓
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal Overview
The 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal is a privately issued commemorative medal produced to mark the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Texas State Capitol in Austin on May 16, 1888. It was struck in 2 troy ounces of .999 fine silver during 1988 only as part of the Capitol Centennial observance, and was accompanied by a companion strike in bronze, catalogued separately as the 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal.
The medal was marketed under the name Texas State Mint, the trade name used by Colonial Coins, Inc. of 909 Travis Street, Houston, for its Capitol Centennial commemorative program. Surviving certificates of authenticity and original sales invoices place the medal’s distribution with the Colonial Coins operation in Houston, and the medal was struck by Medallic Art Company, Danbury, Connecticut.
The obverse reproduces, at the same 45 mm diameter, the Capitol face of the 1888 Texas State Capitol Dedication Medal, the patented souvenir sold to visitors at the dedication festivities. The 1988 issue carries that design forward unchanged — Capitol vignette, banner arrangement, dedication inscription, and the original patent notice — and pairs it with a new ornamental reverse dated 1888–1988 in place of the original’s Governor Ross portrait face.
Each silver medal was individually serialized with a serial number struck on the rim and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, signed by Brian Briscoe as President of Texas State Mint, stating that the mintage would be limited and struck only during 1988, and that sales of the silver medals would be recorded and entered into the archives at the State Capitol. Original Colonial Coins invoices record the silver medal at $35.00 in April 1988.
Documented examples currently range from serial number 316 to 2436, establishing a verified minimum production of at least 2,436 silver medals. The final mintage has not been located in surviving company records and may exceed the highest serial number presently documented.
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal Attribution
The 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal was marketed under the name Texas State Mint, a trade name associated with Colonial Coins, Inc., Houston, Texas, a precious-metals dealer and commemorative medal distributor active during the 1980s.
Attribution of the 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial medallion to Medallic Art Company is supported by original packaging accompanying issued specimens. The presentation box is clearly marked “Medallic Art Co., Danbury, Ct.,” identifying the firm as the manufacturer. As packaging supplied with commemorative medal programs is typically produced by or for the striking mint, this marking constitutes primary physical evidence linking the medallion’s production to Medallic Art Company, while the accompanying certificates and invoices identify Texas State Mint (Colonial Coins, Inc., Houston) as the issuing and distributing entity.
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal Notes
- A bronze companion strike from the same dies exists; see the 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal.
- Register numbers recorded on original invoices are a separate sales-ledger sequence and do not indicate mintage.
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal References
Texas Stacker Archives
Original Colonial Coins, Inc. sales invoice, dated April 19, 1988, shipped May 16, 1988 (Medal No. 862)
Texas State Mint certificate of authenticity, signed Brian Briscoe, President
Medallic Art Co. presentation box accompanying issued specimens
Documented examples examined (this entry): serial nos. 316, 704, 862, 889, 1086, 1455, 1521, 1610, 1825, 2436
