Great Fun ... Old Spanish Trail Half Comparison

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,809
nickelsearcher Moderator United States 15425 Posts	Posted 09/08/2012 8:18 pm Pleased to share today some thoughts and photos of the 1935 Old Spanish Trail half dollars in my collection ... With a mintage of just 10,008 coins (the final 8 reserved for assay) ... this example joins the 1928 Hawaiian and the 1935 Hudson as the only three type coins in the classic silver series with mintages of 10,000 coins. As such ... type set collectors have always recognized the Spanish Trail half as one of the tougher coins in the classic silver commemorative set. The coin has a very interesting history ... it was pushed forward through Congress and eventually minted for the benefit of El Paso, TX dealer L.W. Hoffecker ... who was a future ANA President (1939 to 1941) ... numerous books record the questionable ethics behind this coins genesis ... so suffice for this post that I will opine only on my two examples. The coins were handled well at the mint ... and nearly all were sold to collectors of the day for $2 each ... wish I were there to purchase a few! For todays collector ... many examples exist in MS state (with consideration to the total mintage of 10,000 coins) ... a result of their careful handling and subsequent care ... most will grade MS63 to MS65. Higher grade coins are available if one carefully chooses nice examples. Here is a photo of my PCGS MS66/CAC Spanish Trail ... note the LHW initials at 4pm on the reverse. I suppose a tribute to this coins desirability is the fact that the current PCGS population report lists 3,343 PCGS certified examples ... compare please to the original mintage of 10,000 coins. There are however only 2 Spanish Trail half certified by PCGS in honestly circulted condition (below AU) ... and as such this coin is indeed a 'stopper' for anyone trying to assemble a circulated set of this great series. Pleased to share a photo of my PCGS XF45 Spanish Trail ... purchased from a forum friend (you know who) and re-submitted to obtain the correct grade (Ex-AU53). Great fun chasing both circulated and MS sets of these tremendous coins ... Enjoy David Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art Report this Post to the Staff

commems CCF Master Historian of USA Commemoratives United States 12272 Posts	Posted 09/08/2012 8:25 pm Another cool comparison! Thanks for sharing -- your posts are my only real chance of seeing such nice MS and Circ examples side by side. Visited a local coin show today and the only circulated commemoratives I came across were the typical Columbian and Stone Mountain half-dollars that you can find at almost any show. Keep 'em coming! (Please!) Collecting history one coin or medal at a time! (c) commems. All rights reserved. Report this Post to the Staff
basebal21 Bedrock of the Community 13014 Posts	Posted 09/08/2012 8:37 pm Another great comparison. The designs really holds up well on this one in lower grades. Both look great Report this Post to the Staff
Not Mint to Be Valued Member United States 469 Posts	Posted 09/09/2012 2:00 pm I'm glad that they did get the grade correct. Finally. I think that the Longhorn looks a lot better with a little gray circ on it. Report this Post to the Staff
52Raymo Pillar of the Community United States 8516 Posts	Posted 09/09/2012 4:36 pm What a beautiful coin ! Oregon coin geek.....* GO BEAVS ! ! ! * Report this Post to the Staff
jbuck Moderator United States 188320 Posts	Posted 09/10/2012 3:13 pm Fantastic! Coin Collector Since 1978 Avatar Old Avatar 7070 Eisenhower Australia Canada World CCF Members on eBay CCF eBay Search Engine Report this Post to the Staff
kylecolb Valued Member United States 438 Posts	Posted 09/10/2012 4:55 pm I'll take either if you ever care to share :) Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 6 / Views: 1,809

To participate in the forum you must log in or register.

All Forums Category: US Coins and Currency Forums Forum: US Commemoratives and Non-Circulating Coinage (NCLT) Including Grading, Varieties, and Errors

The First Dollar, your premier source for bullion and rare coins. See our bullion list on the site and the coin inventory on ebay.

Silver Gold Bull US is the United States leading bullion dealer. We deliver gold coins, gold bars, silver coins, silver bars and precious metals to your door. Order today!

View Last 100 New Topics

View Last 100 Active Topics

Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Coin Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Coin Community Family- all rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Coin Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited.
Contact Us | Advertise Here | Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Coin Community Forum

It took 0.26 seconds to rattle this change.