After the Eagle

Number & letter registration marks

The post-1980 codes, how to read the two-letter prefix.

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, the successor workshop.

One important caution: this system is unreliable as an identity tool. Codes were reused within families, rented out, or added to older silver by dealers, and published lists disagree with one another. Treat a code as a dating clue and a lead, not proof of maker. The list below covers codes seen co-stamped with other identifying marks, not the many thousands of anonymous mass-market registrations.

Look It Up

Registration code index

Pick a two-letter prefix to see its codes, or filter by code or 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.

Common Questions

Frequently asked

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.

Keep Reading

Eagle marks (1948-1980) →

The assay-number system the registry codes replaced.

Maker’s mark database →

Documented marks by artist, to match against your piece.

Number & letter registration marks

The post-1980 codes, how to read the two-letter prefix.

Registration code index

Pick a two-letter prefix to see its codes, or filter by code or 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.

Frequently asked

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.