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26-452: On November 26, Texian scout Deaf Smith brought news of a Mexican pack train , accompanied by 50–100 soldiers, that was on its way to Bexar. The Texian camp was convinced that the pack train carried silver to pay the Mexican garrison and purchase supplies. Burleson ordered Colonel James Bowie to take 45–50 cavalry and intercept the train. An additional 100 infantry followed. On seeing

52-635: A "ludicrous affair", did not yield valuable plunder, it did serve to unite the Texian Army. Days before, the army had been bitterly divided and unwilling to risk a prolonged siege or assault. With their success at the Grass Fight, however, the Texian soldiers began to believe that, although outnumbered, they could prevail over the Béxar garrison. The Texians believed that Cos must have been desperate to send troops outside of

78-646: A purity less than these may not be referred to as "bullion". Bullion coins are contemporary precious metal coins minted by official agencies for investment purposes. Some bullion coins have been used as currency throughout the 20th century, such as the Maria Theresa thaler and the Krugerrand . Modern bullion coins generally do not enter common circulation despite having legal tender status and nominal face value. Some modern bullion coins are produced as business strike and collectible proof and uncirculated versions, such as

104-408: A shipment of silver and gold to pay the troops and purchase additional supplies. The Texians had been fighting without pay, and most wanted to charge from camp and loot the expected riches. Burleson calmed the crowd and then ordered Colonel James Bowie to take 35–40 mounted men to investigate, but only attack if necessary. After Bowie recruited the army's 12 best marksmen for the expedition, there

130-417: A small rise to give the artillery better position; they were repulsed. The Mexican infantry then attacked. Rusk wrote of the Mexican attack: "These men advanced with great coolness and bravery under a destructive fire from our men, preserving ... strict order and exhibiting no confusion." The infantry abandoned their charge when they realized that Texian James Swisher had led a band of cavalry to try to take

156-516: Is an over-the-counter market for wholesale trading of gold and silver. The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) coordinates activities of its members and other participants in the London bullion market. The LBMA sets and promotes quality standards for gold and silver bullion bars. The minimum acceptable fineness of the Good Delivery Bars is 99.5% for gold bars and 99.9% for silver bars. Bars with

182-526: Is named in his honor. Unlike his nickname, which was pronounced "Deef", the county name is pronounced by most residents as / ˈ d ɛ f / DEF . Likewise, a brand of peanut butter known as Deaf Smith was manufactured by the Arrowhead Mills company, which was founded in 1960 by Frank Ford, then from Hereford , the seat of Deaf Smith County. Many school districts in Texas name schools after heroes of

208-708: Is still employed, together with modern spectroscopic instrumentation, to accurately determine its quality. The specifications of bullion are often regulated by market bodies or legislation. In the European Union , the minimum purity for gold to be referred to as "bullion", which is treated as investment gold with regard to taxation, is 99.5% for gold bullion bars and 90% for bullion coins . Investors may choose to purchase physical bullion for several reasons – to attempt to hedge against currency risks, inflation risks, geopolitical risks, or to add diversification to an investment portfolio. The London bullion market

234-454: The Anglo-Norman term for a melting-house where metal was refined, and earlier from French bouillon , "boiling". Although precious metal bullion is no longer used to make coins for general circulation, it continues to be held as an investment with a reputation for stability in periods of economic uncertainty. To assess the purity of gold bullion, the centuries-old technique of fire assay

260-790: The Texas Revolution and the Army of the Republic of Texas . He fought in the Grass Fight and the Battle of San Jacinto . After the war, Deaf Smith led a company of Texas Rangers . Smith died in Richmond, Texas, aged 50, at the home of Randall Jones. The Episcopal churchyard has a modest marker, "Deaf Smith, the Texas Spy, Died Nov. 30, 1837", but his exact burial site is unknown. Deaf Smith County, Texas ,

286-465: The American Silver Eagle and American Gold Eagle coins. Private mint strikes called bullion rounds, bullion wafers or bullion bars are typically sold at prices slightly above the underlying prevailing precious metals spot price commensurate with their precious metal content, whereas collectible versions are sold at a significant premium over their precious metal bullion melt value. In some cases,

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312-598: The Mexican cannon. The Mexican forces then withdrew towards Béxar. Four Texians were wounded in the fighting, and one soldier deserted during the battle. In his reports, Burleson claimed that 15 Mexican soldiers had been killed and 7 wounded, while Bowie claimed that 60 Mexican soldiers had been killed. In his book Texans in Revolt: the Battle for San Antonio, 1835 , historian Alwyn Barr stated that only 3 Mexican soldiers had been killed and 14 wounded; most of

338-411: The Mexican party, scattering the mules. The mounted forces briefly exchanged fire, and then both sides dismounted and took cover in dry streambeds. The Mexican forces counterattacked but were repulsed. In Béxar, General Cos saw the battle begin and sent 50 infantry and 1 cannon to provide cover so the cavalry could retreat to town. The Texian infantry also heard the initial shots and rushed toward

364-479: The Texas Revolution. Several schools across the state are named for Deaf Smith, including Lamar CISD's Deaf Smith Elementary in Richmond, Texas. Bullion Bullion is non-ferrous metal that has been refined to a high standard of elemental purity. The term is ordinarily applied to bulk metal used in the production of coins and especially to precious metals such as gold and silver . It comes from

390-455: The Texians launched an attack on Béxar; Cos surrendered on December 9. As a condition of their parole , the Mexican troops were forced to leave the province, leaving the Texas colonists in full control. Deaf Smith Erastus " Deaf " Smith (April 19, 1787 – November 30, 1837), who earned his nickname due to hearing loss in childhood, was an American frontiersman noted for his part in

416-546: The battle commence, Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos sent reinforcements from Bexar. The Texans repulsed several attacks by Mexican soldiers, who finally retreated to Bexar. When the Texians examined the abandoned pack train they discovered that, instead of silver, the mules carried freshly cut grass to feed the Mexican Army horses. Four Texians were injured, and historian Alwyn Barr states that three Mexican soldiers were killed, although Bowie and Burleson initially claimed

442-427: The battle, at one point wading through waist-deep water. They approached the battlefield during a lull. The lack of noise made it difficult for them to ascertain where the Mexican troops were, and the Texians were surprised to find themselves between the Mexican cavalry and infantry. As the Mexican troops began firing, the Texian infantry troops dropped to the ground. Colonel Thomas Rusk led a group of 15 in an attack on

468-457: The casualties were from the cavalry companies. Burleson praised all of his officers for their conduct; Bowie received the most mention. The Texians captured 40 horses and mules. To their surprise, the saddlebags did not contain bullion . Instead, the mules had been carrying freshly cut grass to feed the Mexican horses trapped in Béxar; this prize gave the battle its name. Although the engagement, which historian J. R. Edmondson termed

494-450: The exchange-traded fund (ETF). Investors often prefer to own bullion outright over ETFs due to the minimization of counter-party risks inherent. Private individuals use bullion as an investment or as a store of value. Gold bullion and silver bullion are the most important forms of physical precious metals investments. Bullion investments can be considered as insurance against inflation or economic turmoil, their sole direct counterparty risk

520-455: The garrison at the Alamo . In late October the Texians initiated a siege of Béxar . At 10:00 a.m. on November 26, Texian scout Erastus "Deaf" Smith rode into camp to report that a pack train of mules and horses and donkeys, accompanied by 50–100 Mexican soldiers, was within 5 miles (8.0 km) of Béxar. For several days, the Texians had heard rumors that the Mexican Army was expecting

546-410: The grade and mintages of privately struck rounds, bars or wafers can affect their value as a collectible too, they can at times be considered collectible numismatic pieces rather than bullion items. Professional market participants participate in the bullion markets, such as banks , fabricators , refiners , and vault operators or transport companies, as well as brokers . They provide facilities for

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572-433: The nearest Mexican cavalry; as those cavalrymen fled the Texian infantry was able to scramble to cover. The Texian cavalry joined their infantrymen. Burleson's father, James Burleson, led a cavalry advance on the Mexican position, yelling, "Boys, we have but once to die, they are here in the ditch. Charge them!" The Mexican artillery fired three times, driving the Texians back. Three times the Mexican cavalry attempted to take

598-731: The number was much higher. On October 2, 1835, Texas colonists attacked a Mexican force at the Battle of Gonzales , formally launching the Texas Revolution . After the battle ended, disgruntled colonists continued to assemble in Gonzales , eager to put a decisive end to Mexican control over the area. On October 11 the disorganized volunteers elected Stephen F. Austin , who had settled the first English-speaking colonists in Texas, as their commander-in-chief. Several days later Austin marched his newly created Texian Army towards San Antonio de Béxar, where General Martín Perfecto de Cos , brother-in-law of Mexican president Antonio López de Santa Anna , oversaw

624-608: The refining, melting, assaying, transporting, trading and vaulting of gold and silver bullion. Other professional parties such as investment companies and jewelers use bullion in the context of products or services which they produce or offer to customers. Shares of the world's largest gold exchange-traded fund , the SPDR Gold Shares , represent a gold spot price mimicking derivative although shareholders in popular gold ETFs such as GLD are almost always unsecured creditors, meaning they own no vaulted gold bullion potentially underlying

650-407: The safety of Béxar. Several days later, on December 1, a handful of Americans in Béxar convinced Cos to allow them free passage from the city. Although they had promised to leave the country, the men, including Samuel Maverick , instead joined the Texian Army and provided information about the Mexican defenses and the low morale within the town. Buoyed by their Grass Fight victory, on December 5

676-457: Was little doubt that he intended to find a reason to attack. Burleson managed to stop the entire army from following by sending Colonel William Jack with 100 infantry to support Bowie's men. About 1 mile (1.6 km) from Béxar, Bowie and his men spotted the Mexican soldiers crossing a dry ravine. This was likely near the confluence of the Alazán, Apache, and San Pedro Creeks. Bowie's men charged

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