The obverse reproduces the Capitol face of the 1888 dedication souvenir medal: a front-elevation engraving of the Texas State Capitol with its central dome, columned façade, and rooflines, set on a hatched ground within a beaded border. The legend reads "DEDICATION OF THE TEXAS STATE CAPITOL" above, with "OFFICIAL SOUVENIR" and a ribbon inscribed "PATENTED DEC. 6, 1887" below the building, and "AUSTIN, TEXAS MAY 16, 1888" around the base.
The reverse carries the centennial design: a central eight-armed foliate cross within a beaded ring, surrounded by a radiating field of scrolled acanthus ornament. The circular legend reads "CENTENNIAL · 1888 · THE CAPITOL · CELEBRATION · 1988" between plain and beaded borders.
Bronze strike from the silver issue's dies. Struck by Medallic Art Company, Danbury, CT; issued and distributed by Colonial Coins, Inc., Houston, under the Texas State Mint trade name (COA naming both metals). Unserialized, reeded edge, not entered in the Capitol archive; COA annotated $10. Mintage unknown.
The bronze version of the 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial medallion is distinct from the more common 2 oz silver round and has only two documented sales on record.
| Date | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 11, 2026 | 20.00 | Most RecentPersonal purchase, brick-and-mortar coin shop (not an online marketplace sale) |
| Feb 18, 2025 | 49.75 | Highest Ever |
Scroll for full 2-sale history ↓
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal Overview
The 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal is the bronze strike of the medal issued to mark the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Texas State Capitol in Austin on May 16, 1888. It was struck from the same dies, at the same 45 mm diameter, as the 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal, and the certificate of authenticity issued with both metals names them together as “struck in 2 oz. .999 fine silver and bronze.”
The bronze was the general souvenir tier of the program. Where the silver was individually serialized on the rim and its sales entered in an archive at the State Capitol, the bronze is unserialized, carries a reeded edge, and was not registered — the certificate limits the archive entry to “sales of the silver medallions.” A certificate accompanying a documented bronze example is hand-annotated with a $10 sale price, against the silver’s $35 invoice price. Because the bronze was never numbered, no minimum production figure can be established for it from surviving pieces, and no company record of the bronze mintage has been located.
The medal was marketed under the name Texas State Mint, the trade name used by Colonial Coins, Inc. of Houston for its Capitol Centennial program, and was struck by Medallic Art Company, Danbury, Connecticut. The obverse reproduces the Capitol face of the 1888 Texas State Capitol Dedication Medal, patent ribbon included.
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal Attribution
The bronze shares its dies, issuer, and manufacturer with the silver issue, and the attribution rests on the same evidence: the Texas State Mint certificate of authenticity, signed by Brian Briscoe as President, which names both metals, and the Medallic Art Co. presentation box documented with the silver. The certificate examined with the bronze example is the same printed form issued with the silver medals. No separate bronze-specific packaging or sales record has been located.
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal Notes
- Silver companion: 1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Silver Medal — rim-serialized, registered, documented range 316–2436.
- The reeded edge and absence of a serial are the physical markers distinguishing the bronze tier from the silver.
1988 Texas Capitol Centennial Bronze Medal References
- Texas State Mint certificate of authenticity accompanying the examined bronze example, signed Brian Briscoe, President; hand-annotated “$10”
- Documented example examined (this entry)
- Texas Stacker Archives
