L.W. HOFFECKER ARCHIVE DISCOVERED

A once-in-a-lifetime numismatic event has taken place along the U.S./Mexican border. In the desert city of El Paso, Texas, surviving documents and artifacts belonging to the late Lyman William Hoffecker (1868-1955), designer of the 1935 Old Spanish Trail / El Paso half dollar, have been discovered. These items, which have remained unknown to the numismatic community for the last seventy (70) years, were discovered during renovation efforts of the L.W. Hoffecker property. To those not familiar with L.W. Hoffecker, he was the originator of the Old Spanish Trail (El Paso) half dollar and was a former President of the American Numismatic Association.

During renovations, new homeowners John and Naiomi Falvey found the items tucked away in the carriage house located at the back of the old L.W. Hoffecker house. Soon after, Falveys would reach out to local El Paso numismatist and award-winning numismatic author Jason Elwell (Numismatics of the Borderland, 1st Edition, Honorable Mention Best Reference Book 2024, International Latino Book Awards), asking him if he would like to have the L.W. Hoffecker records. As the Falveys knew the L.W. Hoffecker records were of historic significance, they felt it was important to find the right person to give the files to. As a numismatist, Jason Elwell saw the importance of preserving these documents and artifacts and is now the new owner of those items. Jason Elwell would also become the new owner of L.W. Hoffecker's double-door steel vault, which resided within the same carriage house where the files were found. Currently, these items are part of the Jason Elwell Numismatic Collection.

 
L. W. Hoffecker House El Paso, TX. Photo by Jason Elwell

 
Newly Discovered Hoffecker Papers. From left: Jason Elwell, John Flavey.
Photo by Jason Elwell

As this could very well be one of the most important numismatic discoveries of the last 70 years, Jason Elwell has dedicated much time, research, and effort into writing a four (4)-part series titled "Go tell it on the Franklin Mountains…L.W. Hoffecker is Reborn". Jason Elwell's four part series article will

• share how he acquired the Hoffecker files
• address comments about the Spanish Trail (El Paso) half dollar
• provide evidence to support L.W. Hoffecker's eyewitness account and unfair treatment he experienced, and
• why us numismatists should be thanking L.W. Hoffecker for doing so much in our hobby.

Fittingly, this multi-part article series "Go tell it on the Franklin Mountains…L.W. Hoffecker is Reborn" will be published by the Texas Numismatic Association as it is Texas-related numismatic news and will be available to read beginning with the December 2025, Vol . 68, No.4 edition of TNA News magazine.

 

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
LYMAN WILLIAM HOFFECKER (1868-1955) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n18a13.html)
NEW BOOK: NUMISMATICS OF THE BORDERLAND (https://www.coinbooks.org/v26/esylum_v26n43a07.html)
NUMISMATICS OF THE BORDERLAND WINS AWARD (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n44a05.html)

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