1982 National Dallas Silver Trade Unit
The obverse features the inscription NATIONAL in a broad arc across the upper perimeter, with DALLAS centered below. The central device depicts a descending eagle with wings fully spread, clutching an olive branch in its talons. Small five-point stars surround the eagle, creating a patriotic motif commonly used on American bullion and trade-unit issues of the era. The design is executed against mirrored proof-like fields.
The reverse displays the inscription ONE TROY OUNCE above and 31.1 GRAMS beneath. The central device is a balance scale with a stack of coins in the left pan and calibration weights in the right pan. The words TEXAS and MINT appear incorporated into the scale assembly. Beneath the scale is the legend .999 FINE SILVER, followed by SILVER TRADE UNIT around the lower perimeter. The design reflects the bullion-industry practice of expressing silver value by weight rather than denomination.
Overview
The 1982 National Dallas Silver Trade Unit is a privately issued one-troy-ounce .999 fine silver round produced during the American silver bullion boom of the late 1970s to early 1980s. The round combines a Dallas-branded obverse featuring a heraldic eagle with a trade-unit reverse centered on a balance scale motif. Although the issuer identified itself as “National Dallas,” the actual manufacturer remains undocumented. Comparative analysis of known specimens suggests a close relationship to the Don Casey Company / Texas Mint production family active in the Dallas–Garland area during the same period.
Historical Context
The National Dallas Silver Trade Unit emerged during the private bullion renaissance that followed the rapid rise in silver prices during the late 1970s. Before the introduction of modern government-issued bullion programs such as the American Silver Eagle, numerous private refiners, bullion dealers, and regional mints produced silver rounds known as “trade units.” These pieces typically contained one troy ounce of silver and were marketed as a convenient bullion investment rather than as legal tender.
Dallas was an important regional precious-metals market during this period, supporting a network of bullion dealers, refiners, and private mints. The National Dallas issue reflects this environment, combining a regional identity with a classic bullion-oriented design emphasizing weight, purity, and intrinsic value.
Coin Notes
- Struck in .999 fine silver.
- Weight: 1 Troy Ounce (31.1 grams).
- Reeded edge.
- Some rounds observed DO NOT have the “Texas Mint” mark on the reverse.
- Part of the privately issued silver trade-unit movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
- Known examples share a reverse design family with documented Texas Mint and Silvex Silver Systems trade units.
- The exact identity of National Dallas remains unresolved and is an active area of research.
- Current evidence suggests National Dallas may have functioned as a distributor or marketing brand rather than the actual manufacturer of the round.
