P and P Company Overview
P and P Company, Tyler Texas was a private bullion issuer and precious metals fabricator during the early 1980s. The company is documented through surviving .999 fine silver trade units, hand-poured silver bars, and original certificates of authenticity identifying the firm as P and P Company. Its best-known product is the 1982 Rose Capital of the World (Tyler, TX) one-ounce silver trade unit, issued as a limited edition of 10,000 pieces. Although the company produced its own branded bullion bars, the one-ounce silver round was likely struck under contract by an unidentified private mint.
Location: Tyler, Smith County, Texas
Years of Operation: Circa 1982 (documented)
The company’s full period of operation has not been established. Physical artifacts confirm activity during 1982, while later records indicate Willis R.H. Preston remained in Tyler through at least the late 1980s.
Roles:
- Silver Refiner
- Bullion Issuer
- Bullion Fabricator – poured silver bars
- Distributor
Striking Mint: Unknown
P and P Company Leadership
Willis R.H. Preston
President (documented 1982)
Preston’s name appears on original numbered certificates of authenticity accompanying the company’s 1982 Rose Capital of the World silver trade unit, making him the first documented officer associated with P and P Company.
Products Made by P and P Company
Silver Trade Units
- 1982 Rose Capital of the World (Tyler, TX) – 1 Troy Ounce .999 Fine Silver
Silver Bars
- Hand-poured .999 fine silver bars
- Known examples bear the P&P Co. hallmark, TYLER, TEXAS, fineness, and individually hand-stamped weights
How P and P Company Products Were Made
Physical evidence and firsthand testimony indicate that P and P Company refined silver recovered from photographic waste and produced hand-poured .999 fine silver bars at its Tyler, Texas facility. Surviving bars exhibit characteristics typical of small-batch regional bullion fabrication, including poured surfaces, hand-applied hallmarks, and individually stamped weights.
The company’s one-ounce Rose Capital of the World (Tyler, TX) silver trade unit differs in manufacture, being a professionally die-struck issue with standardized bullion inscriptions. While the striking mint has not been identified, the round was likely produced under contract for P and P Company.
Historical Significance of P and P Company
P and P Company represents one of the few documented private precious-metals businesses operating outside the major Texas minting centers during the early 1980s. In addition to issuing bullion products, the company refined silver recovered from photographic waste and fabricated hand-poured silver bars before marketing its own branded trade units. Its activities illustrate the vertically integrated nature of some regional bullion businesses during the period, where refining, fabrication, and bullion sales were conducted within a single operation.
Research Notes on P and P Company
The following facts have been confirmed through surviving primary-source artifacts:
- Corporate name: P and P Company
- Location: Tyler, Texas
- President: Willis R.H. Preston
- Original numbered certificates of authenticity accompanied the 1982 silver trade unit.
- The certificate states a limited edition of 10,000 one-ounce silver medallions.
- Hand-poured silver bars bearing the P&P Co. hallmark and TYLER, TEXAS are known.
The following remain unconfirmed:
- Legal business structure
- Exact years of operation
- Identity of the contract mint that struck the silver trade unit
- Complete product line
References for P and P Company
Documented examples of the 1982 P and P Company silver trade unit.
Original certificate of authenticity for the 1982 Rose Capital of the World (Tyler, TX) silver trade unit.
Documented examples of P and P Company hand-poured silver bars.
Coins from P and P Company (Tyler, Texas) (1)
