Who thinks this is real? Sterling pitcher, help!!

[Spartcom5]

Hey guys bought this today for $250!!! It weighs in at 891 grams and of course that's more than $250 so I bought it. I took it to my favorite coin store they tested for silver on acid and it does have silver, magnet didn't stick either. However, he said it smelled weird to him and the marking looks like it could be fake, didn't want to take a chance on it. I also know there are tons of fake Mexican sterling out there and it has me worried. The store I bought it from is going to meet up with me at another coin store who has an electronic tester and if it's fake I get my money back and if it's real well then great. I came home with it and tried the ice cube test. I put some cubes on a sliver plated tray and it melt a little bit but not much. I put another cube in a sterling cup and you could tell the difference, it melted pretty fast. Finally I put a cube on the pitcher and the ice sizzled and melted like crazy, how reliable is the ice test? Also, I filed into the base of the pitcher and it was silver all the way through, not sure how deep to go. What do you guys think? I also think this may be worth more than melt if it is real as well.

 

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[kali_is_my_copilot]

I think it's legit. I was going to say, if you've already filed into it, go a little deeper and then apply a drop of 18k testing acid directly to the file mark, it should turn milky/whitish-blue & not react by bubbling/smoking/whatever, but it sounds like you don't have testing supplies at home (if you want to keep doing this do yourself a favor and order some on ebay, and learn how to use them). However just based on appearance & the facts that it acid-tested good and it files down to silver I am basically 100% sure that that is solid sterling silver. This pastime has taught me that there are some really, really convincing fakes out there, but. I live in Texas and see tons of Mexican silver and a fair amount of both straight up plated fakes and alpaca of all different types marked as alpaca. Since I started doing this almost four years ago I have purchased things that were marked sterling, were non-magnetic, were silver-colored all the way through, and generally looked and felt like but WERE NOT actually silver, but none of them gave a positive acid test.

 

[Spartcom5]

Interesting... by acid test I mean the guy took the pitcher and scratched it on the stone but not very deeply. When the acid was applied it was clearly silver. But my worry is that since he didn't go deep maybe it was just the plating (if it is fake)? The test was strong silver for sure but then again could be heavy plated?

 

[Spartcom5]

Interesting... by acid test I mean the guy took the pitcher and scratched it on the stone but not very deeply. When the acid was applied it was clearly silver. But my worry is that since he didn't go deep maybe it was just the plating (if it is fake)? The test was strong silver for sure but then again could be heavy plated?

Just filed it again deeper like at least a couple mm down and all silver. Also, I doubt it matters but around the inside of the pitcher you can see little hammer marks all the way around, obviously took quite a bit of time making this thing by hand, would they do that for cheap fake silverplate idk....? The pitched itself is very thick hence why it weighs so much.

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

Nope that definitely matters. Those little details are signs of build quality, and build quality (or lack thereof) is one of the main, if not THE main thing that I look at when I'm out hunting. It's just like you say: if something is obviously handworked, it's a great indicator that the thing in question is authentic. For most items it would be comically impractical to go to elaborate time-consuming lengths to counterfeit it, as the value of the time invested would quickly surpass the value of the original object. Sorry for the rambling response but I wanted to commend your attention to detail, developing a good eye will really help with this hobby.

 

[JimDon]

This one scares me. I really don't like the way the mark is applied. A jeweler or silversmith would take more care in applying the stamp. It looks like it was done after the fact to me. The other thing that questions it is if it was purchased from someone who knows silver and why would they sell it at half the price of its melt value. I have been burnt a couple times with fake Mexican silver. That being said I think you've done everything you can to prove it probably is real.

 

[cyberdan]

If it is silver try and sell as a collectible, you should get more. Never heard of anything marked STERLING MEXICO. If Juan is going to fake it he should fake it with a French or Italian hallmark.

Here is a place I go to. This is the Mexican section. No luck on the ID though.
Mexican Silver Marks I - Online Encyclopedia of Silver Marks, Hallmarks & Makers' Marks

But there are no government or makers marks.

 

[diggummup]

I've seen "Sterling-Mexico" marks before listed in my books. To me it looks like an older (1948-1955) (upside down) eagle mark, but I cannot make out the number on it's chest. I believe the piece could be real. If it is only plated then wear will be most obvious on the base of the feet. That is where it would wear off first. I would scratch/acid test it using the feet. Less damage too, if you happen to file a notch and dropper test it. I flipped the eagle-

 

[Spartcom5]

Yea, there is definitely no different metal showing up on the feet of the pot. I also noticed this picture, not same marking however the number scratched along the side, mine has the same thing, obviously not the same number but same thing....

 

[silverdollarbill]

Mark looks double stamped and is a little supsect, but everything else looks good. I'd bet it's real.

 

[diggummup]

I was referring to the eagle shown here top right-

 

[trdhrdr007]

Looks legit to me. I'd advise getting a test kit before you buy more high dollar items. There are plenty of fakes of all kinds & $250 is too much to risk without being 100% sure IMO. We all gamble on cheap items but I doubt there's anyone here that has paid that kind of cash without being sure...at least not more than once.

 

[cyberdan]

I was thinking that stamp was a thistle.

 

[ARC]

Its real... why would it not be ?

 

[ARC]

Eagle stamp.

 

[Spartcom5]

Thanks Diggummup looks right to me! I have a very nice silversmith in my area, they have been around since 1919 making sterling silver, silver plated products. I took my pitcher to them and they said without a doubt silver for sure. They took it in the back and worked with it for about 5 minutes and assured me it was real. Maybe not exactly 925 on the dot but definitely silver, they made an offer of $300 but I declined because silver is quite low. So if it does turn out to be fake, then a well-known silversmith is wrong! I will get it tested by an electronic tester tomorrow just to back everything up! I probably won't be gambling $250 again for something that is dicey lol

 

[jerseyben]

Thanks Diggummup looks right to me! I have a very nice silversmith in my area, they have been around since 1919 making sterling silver, silver plated products. I took my pitcher to them and they said without a doubt silver for sure. They took it in the back and worked with it for about 5 minutes and assured me it was real. Maybe not exactly 925 on the dot but definitely silver, they made an offer of $300 but I declined because silver is quite low. So if it does turn out to be fake, then a well-known silversmith is wrong! I will get it tested by an electronic tester tomorrow just to back everything up! I probably won't be gambling $250 again for something that is dicey lol

I think at this point you have all the proof you need.

Sounds like the first shop did a scratch test, which most people know is not the proper way to test silver.

 

[Spartcom5]

Yup guys! Everything was confirmed today 925 Mexican silver for sure around $422 scrap at today's silver price. Hope it goes up soon again! I don't know if I'd take a gamble like this again at $250 lol