Texas Silver Silver

Texas Mint's Annual .9999 Fine Silver Round

The Texas Silver round is an annual private-mint silver product from Texas Mint, a division of Texas Precious Metals, in continuous production since 2013. Over 3 million Texas Silver Rounds are in circulation as of 2026, making it one of the most successful regional bullion products in the United States. The round is struck in .9999 fine silver (four nines), a higher purity than the .999 standard used by most private mints and by several sovereign coins including the American Silver Eagle, Silver Britannia, and Silver Krugerrand.

The obverse has remained consistent throughout the series: the geographic outline of Texas with the Lone Star. The reverse design changes annually, with subjects drawn from Texas history, wildlife, and culture. From 2020 to 2023, a four-year sub-series honoured major battles of the Texas Revolution (1835-1836) in chronological order: the Battle of Gonzales ("Come and Take It"), the Battle of the Alamo, the Goliad Massacre, and the Battle of San Jacinto.

Texas Precious Metals was founded in 2011 as a subsidiary of Kaspar Companies, a 128-year-old family business (established 1898) based in Shiner, Texas. The mint division was spun off in 2018. The company has processed over $4 billion in transactions and shipped more than 75 million ounces of silver since inception. The parent company's industrial heritage is unusual for a precious metals firm; Kaspar Companies is primarily a manufacturer of industrial steel products. Shiner itself, a town of approximately 2,000 people, is better known for Shiner beer. Texas Precious Metals is the largest employer in Lavaca County.

The range extends beyond the flagship 1 oz round to include bars (1 oz, 5 oz, 10 oz, and 100 oz) and a 5 oz medallion, all in .9999 fine silver. The 2 oz round is also available. Monster boxes hold 500 rounds in 20 tubes of 25, packaged in durable cold-rolled steel with powder-coated finish and individual serial numbers, rather than the plastic containers used by most other producers. A "mini-monster box" (250 rounds in 10 tubes), pioneered by Texas Mint, offers a more accessible bulk format.

Texas Silver Round and Bar Specifications

No holograms, micro-text, or proprietary security features are used. Authentication relies on weight, dimensions, and striking quality. Monster boxes are sealed and individually serial-numbered. The .9999 purity is verifiable by assay.

Packaging

• Individual: plastic flip
• Tube: 25 rounds
• Mini-Monster Box: 250 rounds (10 tubes), serial-numbered
• Monster Box: 500 rounds (20 tubes), cold-rolled steel, powder-coated, serial-numbered

Tax Treatment for Private Silver Rounds

Texas Silver rounds are not legal tender. They carry no face value and have no government backing. Tax treatment follows the general rules for silver bullion in each jurisdiction, with purity being the primary factor for exemption eligibility.

United States

Texas has no state sales tax on precious metals, giving Texas-based buyers and the Texas Mint's direct customers a built-in advantage. Nationwide, approximately 35 states exempt investment-grade bullion from sales tax; the .9999 purity exceeds every state's minimum threshold. The Texas Silver round is IRA-eligible, exceeding the IRS requirement of .999 fineness for silver in retirement accounts, and Texas Mint products are widely accepted by IRA custodians. Long-term capital gains are taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%.

United Kingdom

Silver rounds attract 20% VAT at point of sale. Texas Silver rounds are rarely available through UK dealers and would typically need to be imported, incurring VAT at import. No CGT exemption applies (not UK legal tender). These rounds have essentially no market presence in the UK.

Canada

Silver at 99.9%+ purity is GST/HST-exempt. The .9999 purity qualifies. However, as a private-mint round (not Canadian legal tender), the Texas Silver round is not RRSP-eligible. Capital gains follow the standard 50% inclusion rate.

Australia

Silver at 99.9%+ purity is GST-free. The .9999 purity qualifies. As a practical matter, Texas Silver rounds have minimal availability in Australia and would typically incur shipping costs that offset any price advantage.

Thirteen Years of Texas Silver: Wildlife to Revolution to Cowboy

The Texas Silver round launched in 2013 with the consistent obverse that has appeared on every issue since: the geographic outline of the state of Texas with the Lone Star prominently positioned. This obverse has become the series' visual signature, instantly recognisable to the US bullion market.

Early reverse designs drew from Texas wildlife and landmarks: cowboy, longhorn, white-tailed deer, coyote, bobcat, and the Texas Capitol dome. Each captured a different facet of Texan identity, cycling through the state's most iconic symbols. These designs established the round as a regional product with strong local loyalty.

The most ambitious chapter was the Texas Revolution Series from 2020 to 2023, a four-year narrative arc honouring the major battles of the Texas Revolution (1835-1836). The releases followed chronological order. The 2020 "Battle of Gonzales" design featured the famous "Come and Take It" cannon flag, referencing the 1835 skirmish considered the first battle of the Texas Revolution. The 2021 "Battle of the Alamo" depicted the mission facade. The 2022 "Goliad Massacre" addressed one of the Revolution's darkest episodes. The 2023 "Battle of San Jacinto" commemorated the decisive 18-minute battle on 21 April 1836, in which Sam Houston's forces defeated General Santa Anna's army, securing Texas independence.

The 2025 reverse returned to broader Texas themes with a cowboy on horseback, executed in a reverse proof finish that added a visual premium to the standard BU production. Over 4.2 million ounces of Texas Mint branded products have been produced across the programme's history, with more than 3 million of those being the flagship 1 oz round.

Texas Silver vs American Silver Eagle and Other Private Rounds

The Texas Silver round competes in two directions: against sovereign-issued silver coins and against other private-mint rounds. Its .9999 purity is a differentiator in both comparisons.

Against the American Silver Eagle, the comparison is straightforward. The Eagle is .999 fine silver (lower purity), legal tender at $1, universally recognised, and carries the highest premiums of any major silver coin. The Texas round is .9999 fine (higher purity), not legal tender, and trades at significantly lower premiums. For buyers maximising ounces per dollar, the Texas round delivers more silver per unit of spending. For buyers who prioritise universal recognition and maximum resale liquidity, the Eagle is the safer choice.

Against the Silver Maple Leaf, the purity comparison is even. Both are .9999 fine silver. The Maple Leaf has legal tender status ($5 CAD), the Royal Canadian Mint's global brand recognition, the Bullion DNA security system, and wider international dealer acceptance. The Texas round has lower premiums and strong US domestic distribution. For US buyers focused on cost efficiency within the domestic market, the Texas round is competitive. For international buyers or those planning to resell outside the US, the Maple Leaf offers broader acceptance.

Against other private-mint rounds (Sunshine Minting Buffalo, SilverTowne, Golden State Mint), the Texas Silver competes at a similar premium level but differentiates with .9999 purity (versus the .999 standard for most competitors), the annual-design programme, and the Texas regional brand loyalty. Sunshine Minting offers the MintMark SI security feature, which Texas Mint rounds lack. SilverTowne and Golden State Mint rounds trade at similar premiums without proprietary security features or the four-nines purity.

The Silver Philharmonic from the Austrian Mint typically offers the lowest premiums among major sovereign coins and is a relevant benchmark for cost-conscious buyers. The Philharmonic trades at premiums between private rounds and other sovereign coins, providing a middle option between the Texas round's low cost and the Eagle's high liquidity.