Mexican .925 RAM or ARM, with old Eagle DECAL

[Salme3]

Hi,

I've found a flower pin/brooch with abalone. It's marked Mexico .925 around a circle, and possibly "Taxco". Inside the circle are the letters RAM, ARM, or AAM. Possibbly RRM.

Please see photo.

What really interests me about the brooch is that the Assayer's DECAL is still attatched. It is a detailed eagle, with the number 1 inside it.

Can you tell me when these decals were in use, how old the piece is, or anything about the maker?

Thanks!
Salme

[terrdave]

Hi, welcome to the forum. You expressed an interest in the paper decal on your pin/brooch.

Due to certain design or composition features, many pieces could not be safely stamped with the eagle mark. This could be an item like your abalone pin/brooch. In instances where it could not be safely stamped, the eagle mark was imbedded in a small metal seal attached by a wire loop to a silver piece before sale. Although some of these metal seals are still attached, most were removed after purchase. Paper decals with the eagle mark were also affixed to some objects. [Hougart]

Eagle 1 represents the Federal District of Mexico City. However, finding items stamped for Mexico City made by a Taxco-based artist, or one by a Mexico City firm stamped for Taxco, is not uncommon. [Hougart] The eagle stamp system was officially abandoned by the Mexican government by about 1980. Since about 1980, Mexican silver has been marked using a registration system combining letters with numbers, i.e. TP-54.

My references do not identify the maker, but I do see the Taxco mark. It was made prior to ~1979. Someone with more experience with jewelry might be able to tell you about the age of your pin/brooch by the type of clasp on it.

http://www.925-1000.com/mexican_marks.html

Best wishes, TD