How can you tell if Mexican silver is real?

A 925, Sterling, or Ley 0.925 mark declares sterling fineness; it does not verify the alloy. Compare all punches with documented examples, inspect construction and provenance, and arrange metal testing for significant purchases. Authentic pre-1948 pieces can lack an eagle, while forged objects can carry convincing stamps.

What does the eagle mark on Mexican silver mean?

Numbered eagle marks were part of Mexico’s silver registration system from about 1948 to 1979–1980. The number may indicate a locality or registrant. An eagle is an important dating clue, but its presence does not independently certify metal content or authenticate the maker.

What does 925 mean on Mexican silver?

925 declares 925 parts silver per thousand (92.5%), the sterling standard. You may also see .925, 0.925, or Ley 0.925; the stamp states a claimed fineness, which can be tested independently.

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

Compare the full group of stamps: name or monogram, stated fineness, origin, eagle or registry number, and any design number. A WS monogram may suggest William Spratling, an Antonio cartouche Antonio Pineda, and MATL Matilde Poulat, but individual punches and period combinations vary. Treat the maker index as comparative evidence, not automatic authentication.

How do I date Mexican silver from the eagle mark?

An original eagle stamp usually points toward the c. 1948–1980 marking era. A letter-and-number code generally indicates the successor registration system introduced around 1980. Neither mark independently dates manufacture: later stamping, old inventory, or copies can complicate the chronology, and absence of either mark is inconclusive.

What do eagle 1 and eagle 3 mean?

Eagle 1 is associated with Mexico City and eagle 3 with Taxco as widely used locality or generic registrations. These numbers do not uniquely identify a single maker; verify each association against the complete set of punches on the object.

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

Spratling used eagle 13 on Spratling/Conquistador-period work, later eagle 30 (approximately 1951–1965), and eagle 63 (approximately 1965–1967). Margot de Taxco is associated with eagle 16; Antonio Pineda commonly used eagle 17. Dates and associations should be verified against the actual accompanying maker punch.

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

Around 1980, letter-and-number registrations replaced eagle marks. Common location initials are T = Taxco, M = Mexico City, G = Guadalajara, and C commonly interpreted as Cuernavaca. The next letter usually relates to the registrant; digits distinguish registrations. The code supplies an attribution and marking-era clue, not a conclusive manufacturing date.

What does TS-24 mean on silver?

TS-24 is associated with Sucesores de William Spratling, the successor workshop, under the later Taxco registration system. An authentic TS-24 punch is compatible with successor production, not evidence that William Spratling personally made the object or that the object is automatically genuine.

Are these registry codes reliable for identifying a maker?

Use registry codes as leads rather than proof. Codes, impressions, and name associations may be copied or inconsistently described in references; older inventory could also be stamped later. Cross-check the maker punch, object, and documentary provenance.

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

Around 1980 a letter-and-number registration system replaced numbered eagle marks. Its first letter usually indicates a locality: “T” for Taxco, “M” for Mexico City, “G” for Guadalajara, and “C” commonly interpreted as Cuernavaca. The next letter relates to the maker or registrant, followed by a registration number. For example, TS-24 is associated with Sucesores de William Spratling. A code helps identify a registration era; it does not by itself date manufacture or establish authenticity.

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, Mexico used numbered eagle stamps in its silver registration system. The number might identify a locality or a registered maker; some numbers were shared or used by more than one workshop. A genuine period impression can be a valuable dating clue, but the stamp alone does not prove assay results, silver fineness, or manufacture during those years. Pick an eagle number to see documented associations (the ★ marks location and maker anchors), or search a maker for associated numbers.

★ 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 stamp, or more often a combination of stamps, that may declare fineness and origin, name a maker, or identify an official registration. Read together, the marks help establish a probable period and attribution. They do not, by themselves, prove an object’s silver content, authenticity, or maker.

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.
Registration: A numbered eagle stamp (about 1948–1980) or later letter-and-number registry code. These identify a registration or location and provide dating clues, not conclusive assay results.
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

First look for a fineness mark. It states the silver content claimed for the object, not a laboratory result. Mexican silver can be sterling or a higher-fineness alloy, especially on earlier work. Here are common stamps and what they claim.

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 missing fineness stamp does not establish that a piece is plated or counterfeit; some early work was marked differently. Conversely, a stamped 925 or eagle is not proof of composition or authenticity. For consequential acquisitions, compare the complete mark combination with documented examples and test the metal when needed.

Dating a piece

The eagle assay mark & the modern registry

A numbered eagle registration stamp is an important chronological clue. Introduced around 1948 and phased out around 1979–1980, it was associated with the Mexican silver-marking system and often identifies a registrant or locality. Its presence supports a midcentury attribution, but stamps were sometimes added later, copied, or shared; the eagle alone cannot authenticate the object or establish its exact production date.

Around 1980, letter-and-number registration marks replaced the eagle system. Common first letters include T (Taxco), M (Mexico City), G (Guadalajara), and C (often interpreted as Cuernavaca), followed by a maker-related letter and registration number. Such a stamp generally reflects the later marking system, but an older object can bear a later stamp. Similarly, missing eagle and registry marks do not by themselves establish a pre-1948 date.

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

Common questions

Frequently asked

How can you tell if Mexican silver is real?: A 925, Sterling, or Ley 0.925 mark declares sterling fineness; it does not verify the alloy. Compare all punches with documented examples, inspect construction and provenance, and arrange metal testing for significant purchases. Authentic pre-1948 pieces can lack an eagle, while forged objects can carry convincing stamps.
What does the eagle mark on Mexican silver mean?: Numbered eagle marks were part of Mexico’s silver registration system from about 1948 to 1979–1980. The number may indicate a locality or registrant. An eagle is an important dating clue, but its presence does not independently certify metal content or authenticate the maker.
What does 925 mean on Mexican silver?: 925 declares 925 parts silver per thousand (92.5%), the sterling standard. You may also see .925, 0.925, or Ley 0.925; the stamp states a claimed fineness, which can be tested independently.
How do I identify the maker of a Mexican silver piece?: Compare the full group of stamps: name or monogram, stated fineness, origin, eagle or registry number, and any design number. A WS monogram may suggest William Spratling, an Antonio cartouche Antonio Pineda, and MATL Matilde Poulat, but individual punches and period combinations vary. Treat the maker index as comparative evidence, not automatic authentication.
How do I date Mexican silver from the eagle mark?: An original eagle stamp usually points toward the c. 1948–1980 marking era. A letter-and-number code generally indicates the successor registration system introduced around 1980. Neither mark independently dates manufacture: later stamping, old inventory, or copies can complicate the chronology, and absence of either mark is inconclusive.
What do eagle 1 and eagle 3 mean?: Eagle 1 is associated with Mexico City and eagle 3 with Taxco as widely used locality or generic registrations. These numbers do not uniquely identify a single maker; verify each association against the complete set of punches on the object.
Which eagle number did William Spratling, Antonio Pineda and Margot use?: Spratling used eagle 13 on Spratling/Conquistador-period work, later eagle 30 (approximately 1951–1965), and eagle 63 (approximately 1965–1967). Margot de Taxco is associated with eagle 16; Antonio Pineda commonly used eagle 17. Dates and associations should be verified against the actual accompanying maker punch.
What do the letter-number marks on Mexican silver mean?: Around 1980, letter-and-number registrations replaced eagle marks. Common location initials are T = Taxco, M = Mexico City, G = Guadalajara, and C commonly interpreted as Cuernavaca. The next letter usually relates to the registrant; digits distinguish registrations. The code supplies an attribution and marking-era clue, not a conclusive manufacturing date.
What does TS-24 mean on silver?: TS-24 is associated with Sucesores de William Spratling, the successor workshop, under the later Taxco registration system. An authentic TS-24 punch is compatible with successor production, not evidence that William Spratling personally made the object or that the object is automatically genuine.
Are these registry codes reliable for identifying a maker?: Use registry codes as leads rather than proof. Codes, impressions, and name associations may be copied or inconsistently described in references; older inventory could also be stamped later. Cross-check the maker punch, object, and documentary provenance.

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