www.925-1000.com

I have what appears to be an early Los Castillo parrot pin, but the markings don't quite match up to the ones listed here: the "Los Castillos" name is in a single straight line instead of a circle, and there's no mention of Taxco. I believe the number on the eagle is "15", but there doesn't seem to be any other indication of metal purity/identity.

Other than dating this piece before 1979, are there any other conclusions I should be able to draw from these marks? Thanks!

Hi,
Although the linear Los Castillo maker's mark was thought to be used only until about 1948, your piece shows that its use continued longer. This parrot pin was first made around 1952 and won a prize at the Taxco Silver Fair in (I think) in 1953. There is no need for a "sterling mark", the eagle (#15 was registered to LC) guarantees a minimum 925 standard.

Regards, Tom

ps. there a few variations in the form of the eagle marks, yours was discontinued c.1955 see the -> Mexican Marks Page

Aha-- the 1948 cutoff date for the linear stamp on the Los Castillo page was making me worried, since its timeframe didn't overlap with the "Hecho en Mexico" stamp. So it is sterling, dating c. 1952-1955... wow. Thank you for the confirmation!