Hallmarks · By country
Mexican hallmarks
Mexican silver is dated by which registration system its mark belongs to, and the systems changed twice in the twentieth century.
- Marking since
- 1948
- Gives a year
- No
How the system works
From 1948 to about 1979 an eagle assay mark was used with a number identifying the workshop. From 1979 a letter and number system was introduced, in which the letters indicate the town, for example TA for Taxco, and the number the maker. Before 1948, marks are inconsistent and often read simply Silver Mexico or 925.
The marks
| Mark | What it means |
|---|---|
| Eagle with a number | Mexican assay mark, about 1948 to 1979. |
The standards
| Figure or mark | Fineness and use |
|---|---|
| 925 | Sterling, the usual Mexican standard. |
| 970 or 980 | Higher standards used by some Taxco workshops. |
Dating a mexican piece
The eagle mark places a piece roughly between 1948 and 1979. A letter and number code places it after 1979. Neither is precise, and both are frequently faked on modern tourist silver.
Where the marks will not give you a year, date the piece from its construction instead: the catch, the metal, the setting and the cut of the stones. That method is set out in how to date antique jewelry.
Where people go wrong
- Taxco silver of the 1930s and 1940s by known designers is a serious collecting field. Modern copies carry invented eagle marks.
- Mexican silver is often 925 or higher, and the fineness is generally honest even where the attribution is not.
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