How can you tell if Mexican silver is real?

Look for a fineness mark, “925,” “Sterling,” or “Ley 0.925”, confirming 92.5% silver. On pieces made between roughly 1948 and 1979, an eagle assay stamp is a government guarantee of content. Be aware that genuine early Taxco pieces (pre-1948) can predate the eagle and carry only script or maker’s marks, so the absence of an eagle does not by itself mean a piece is fake.

What does the eagle mark on Mexican silver mean?

The eagle is Mexico’s national silver assay mark, used from about 1948 until the late 1970s. It certifies the silver content and often contains a number that served as a registration code. Because it was only in use for that window, an eagle stamp is one of the most useful clues for dating a piece.

What does 925 mean on Mexican silver?

925 means the metal is 92.5% pure silver, the sterling standard. It may also appear as “.925,” “0.925,” or “Ley 0.925,” where “Ley” is Spanish for “standard.”

How do I identify the maker of a Mexican silver piece?

Read the maker’s mark, a monogram, name, or signature stamped alongside the purity and assay marks. Taxco-school makers used consistent signatures: a conjoined “WS” for William Spratling, a crowned “Antonio” for Antonio Pineda, “MATL” for Matilde Poulat, and so on. Compare the mark against a documented reference for that artist, the maker index on this page holds every mark we have on file.

How do I date Mexican silver from the eagle mark?

No eagle and no letter-number code suggests a piece predates 1948. An eagle stamp places it roughly 1948-1980. A letter-and-number registration code (e.g. TS-24) points to after 1980, when the eagle was retired.

What do eagle 1 and eagle 3 mean?

Eagle 1 marks a Mexico City (Federal District) registration; eagle 3 is the city of Taxco, and perhaps Guadalajara. Eagle 50 is from the Guadalajara area. Location numbers were widely shared, so they place a workshop's registration rather than name the maker.

Which eagle number did William Spratling, Antonio Pineda and Margot use?

Spratling is associated with eagle 13, Margot de Taxco with eagle 16, and Antonio Pineda most commonly with eagle 17. These are strong associations, not exclusive assignments, the same numbers appear on other makers' work, so always confirm against the maker's mark.

What do the letter-number marks on Mexican silver mean?

After the eagle assay stamp was retired around 1980, Mexico registered silversmiths with a letter-and-number code. The first letter is a location (T = Taxco, M = Mexico City, G = Guadalajara), the second is usually the maker's initial, and the number is their registration order. A piece carrying one of these codes was made after 1980.

What does TS-24 mean on silver?

TS-24 decodes as Taxco (T), an S-name maker, the 24th registered under that prefix, Sucesores de William Spratling, the successor workshop to William Spratling. A TS-24 stamp is a legitimate post-1980 registration, not a counterfeit marker.

Are these registry codes reliable for identifying a maker?

Only loosely. Codes were reused within families, rented out, or stamped by dealers onto older silver, and published lists contradict one another. Use a code to date a piece to after 1980 and as a lead, then confirm the maker from the mark itself.

Reference guide

Mexican Silver Hallmarks

Try “Spratling”, “TS-24”, or “eagle 3” · 765 marks, 198 registry codes, 147 eagle numbers

Maker marks

By Artist

765 documented marks across 301 makers, from the major Taxco names to the smaller workshops in the hallmark record. Choose a maker to see their marks and how they changed over time. Tap any mark to enlarge it.

A. Domínguez

1 documented mark

Documented in the museum's hallmark register through 1 mark; eagle assay number 3 recorded; the marks place the workshop in Taxco.

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Example record

William Spratling: Braided Silver and Copper Cuff Bracelet

Mark: Taxco · WS · 925
Notes

After 1980

Number & letter registration marks

From about 1980 the eagle assay stamp was replaced by a letter-and-number registration code. The first letter is a location, “T” for Taxco, “M” for Mexico City, the second is usually the initial of the maker’s name, and the number is the order in which they registered. So “TS-24” reads as Taxco, an “S” maker, the 24th registered: Sucesores de William Spratling. Treat a code as a dating clue and a lead, not proof of maker.

First letter = location: T Taxco · M Mexico City · G Guadalajara

TSTaxco

20 codes

TS-01ASM (stylized script); also on Laton
TS-02MR (on Orquidía)
TS-09Fidencio Serrano
TS-18HGS
TS-22JS (inside a circle)
TS-24Sucesores de William Spratling, S.A. de C.V
TS-30Two trees mark
TS-35CSK
TS-39In the MATL style
TS-40On Alicia
TS-43OSA
TS-45TILO
TS-51RSG
TS-64Cony; Brilanti
TS-70Two trees mark
TS-74On Héctor’s
TS-78ASM (stylized)
TS-79Two trees mark
TS-114On Anne Harvey
TS-134Two trees mark

198 codes compiled from the documented post-1980 registry of Mexican silver makers.

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1948-1980

Eagle assay marks

From about 1948 to 1980, registered silver was stamped with an eagle enclosing a number that identified a location or a specific maker, and the stamp doubled as proof the piece had been assayed to at least sterling. Because it was only in use for that window, an eagle number is one of the strongest dating clues on a piece. The numbers were widely shared and reused, so read one as a strong lead and a date bracket, not proof of maker. Pick an eagle number to see who is documented under it (the ★ marks the location and maker anchors), or search a maker to find every number their work appears under.

★ documented location / maker anchor

Eagle 13

6 documented makers · William Spratling

Spratling's assigned number; also seen on others' pieces he marketed.

ConquistadorPlatería FarFanFVLLos BallesterosAntonio PinedaWilliam Spratling

147 eagle numbers compiled from the documented record of Mexican silver assay marks, 1948-1980.

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In short

What is a Mexican silver hallmark?

A Mexican silver hallmark is a stamped mark (or, more often, a small group of marks) that records a piece’s silver purity, its origin, an official assay guarantee, and the maker who produced it. Read together, these marks confirm whether a piece is genuine sterling silver, roughly when it was made, and which workshop or artist it came from.

Anatomy of a mark

Four things every mark can tell you

Purity: A fineness mark (most often “925,” “Sterling,” or “Silver”) declaring the silver content. 925 means 92.5% pure silver, the sterling standard.
Origin: A country or place mark such as “Mexico,” “Hecho en Mexico” (Made in Mexico), or “Taxco,” locating where the piece was made.
Assay: A government guarantee of silver content, the eagle stamp (c. 1948-1979) or, after it, a letter-and-number registry code. This is the strongest dating clue.
Maker: The workshop or artist’s mark, a monogram, name, or signature. On Taxco-school work this is what turns an object into an authored piece.

Is it real?

Purity & authenticity marks

The first thing to find is a fineness mark. Genuine Mexican silver is almost always sterling, 92.5% pure, and says so. Here are the marks you’ll see most often and what each one means.

925 / .925 / Ley 0.925

Sterling standard, 92.5% silver. “Ley” means “standard.”

Sterling

English-language sterling declaration, common on export pieces.

Silver / Plata

A silver declaration without a stated fineness, read alongside other marks.

Hecho en Mexico

“Made in Mexico.” An origin mark, not a purity guarantee on its own.

A caution: the absence of a fineness mark does not always mean a piece is plated or fake. Some early Taxco work predates standardized marking. When the marks are ambiguous, weigh them against the maker’s mark and the assay stamp before drawing a conclusion.

Dating a piece

The eagle assay mark & the modern registry

The single most useful clue for age is the assay mark. From roughly 1948 to the late 1970s, Mexican silver was stamped with an eagle, the national assay mark guaranteeing silver content, often enclosing a number used as a registration code. Because the eagle was only in use during that window, its presence places a piece within it.

When the eagle was retired, Mexico introduced a registry system of letters and numbers unique to each maker. The leading letters identify the maker’s town, Taxco codes commonly begin with “T”, followed by initials and a registration number. A piece carrying one of these codes was made after 1980; a piece carrying neither an eagle nor a registry code may well predate 1948.

Look up an eagle number ↑Look up a registry code ↑

Common questions

Frequently asked

How can you tell if Mexican silver is real?: Look for a fineness mark, “925,” “Sterling,” or “Ley 0.925”, confirming 92.5% silver. On pieces made between roughly 1948 and 1979, an eagle assay stamp is a government guarantee of content. Be aware that genuine early Taxco pieces (pre-1948) can predate the eagle and carry only script or maker’s marks, so the absence of an eagle does not by itself mean a piece is fake.
What does the eagle mark on Mexican silver mean?: The eagle is Mexico’s national silver assay mark, used from about 1948 until the late 1970s. It certifies the silver content and often contains a number that served as a registration code. Because it was only in use for that window, an eagle stamp is one of the most useful clues for dating a piece.
What does 925 mean on Mexican silver?: 925 means the metal is 92.5% pure silver, the sterling standard. It may also appear as “.925,” “0.925,” or “Ley 0.925,” where “Ley” is Spanish for “standard.”
How do I identify the maker of a Mexican silver piece?: Read the maker’s mark, a monogram, name, or signature stamped alongside the purity and assay marks. Taxco-school makers used consistent signatures: a conjoined “WS” for William Spratling, a crowned “Antonio” for Antonio Pineda, “MATL” for Matilde Poulat, and so on. Compare the mark against a documented reference for that artist, the maker index on this page holds every mark we have on file.
How do I date Mexican silver from the eagle mark?: No eagle and no letter-number code suggests a piece predates 1948. An eagle stamp places it roughly 1948-1980. A letter-and-number registration code (e.g. TS-24) points to after 1980, when the eagle was retired.
What do eagle 1 and eagle 3 mean?: Eagle 1 marks a Mexico City (Federal District) registration; eagle 3 is the city of Taxco, and perhaps Guadalajara. Eagle 50 is from the Guadalajara area. Location numbers were widely shared, so they place a workshop's registration rather than name the maker.