½ Dollar Old Spanish Trail
1935 year| Silver (.900) | 12.50 g | 30.60 mm |
| Issuer | United States |
|---|---|
| Period | Federal republic (1776-date) |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
| Year | 1935 |
| Value | ½ Dollar = 50 Cents (½ USD) |
| Currency | Dollar (1785-date) |
| Composition | Silver (.900) |
| Weight | 12.50 g |
| Diameter | 30.60 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Updated | 2024-10-09 |
| Numista | N#78899 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 79% |
Reverse
The reverse is a section of the southeastern United States with a line marking the trail. A yucca tree in bloom is superimposed over the central portion of the map.
Script: Latin
Lettering:
OLD · SPANISH · TRAIL
EL PASO
IN GOD WE TRUST
1535 ▾ 1935
L.W.H
Engravers: Edmund J. Senn, Lyman W. Hoffecker
Edge
Reeded
Comment
One of the lower mintage early commemorative coins that command a premium across all grade levels is the 1935 Old Spanish Trail Half Dollar. Total distribution was only 10,008 coins, including the pieces struck for assay.
This commemorative was authorized to mark the 400th anniversary of the “Old Spanish Trail”, which extended from Florida to El Paso. This was the path traveled by the pioneer Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca during the years 1528 to 1536. The obverse of the coins featured the head of a cow, which is a literal translation of part of the explorer’s last name Cabeza de Vaca.
The authorizing legislation was passed due to the efforts of L.W. Hoffecker, who set up the El Paso Museum Committee to distribute the coins. He would also create the designs for the coins, which would be modeled by Edmund J. Senn. Some numismatic literature has questioned the appropriateness of this issue and claimed that it was produced to the benefit of a “one-man operation”.
The Old Spanish Trail Half Dollars were sold at an issue price of $2 each and were widely distributed. The entire maximum authorized mintage of 10,000 coins was sold out. The low mintage and wide distribution contribute to the current high premiums for the coins.
Only two other silver commemorative half dollars had a low mintage of 10,000 coins. The two issues were the Hudson Sesquicentennial Half Dollars issued in 1935 and the Hawaiian Sesquicentennial Half Dollars issued in 1928.
Authorization: Public Law 74-97
Maximum Authorized Mintage: 10,000
Interesting fact
The 1935 Old Spanish Trail half dollar is a non-circulating coin that was minted to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Old Spanish Trail, a historic route that connected St. Augustine, Florida, with San Diego, California. The coin's design features a portrait of a Spanish conquistador on the obverse and a depiction of a covered wagon and the Old Spanish Trail on the reverse. It was made of silver (.900) and weighs 12.50 grams.
Price
| Date | Mintage | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 10008 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Values in the table are based on evaluations by sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only for ½ Dollar (Old Spanish Trail) 1935 coin.
