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European and Mexican silver: .800, .835, .720, and “925” that isn’t
Not all old silver is sterling. Mexico and Europe used a buffet of fineness numbers. The stamp is a clue. The test is the bid.
US people hear “silver” and think sterling or 90% coin.
Europe stamped .800, .830, .835, .900, .925. Mexico has .720 coins, .925 jewelry, and tourist pieces that wish they were either. Sterling vs plate.
How we buy it
Test. Weigh. Pay the fineness we got, not the fineness the story wanted. Tests.
Mexican Libertads vs mixed tourist silver
A Libertad is a bullion coin we know. A mixed bag of hotel jewelry is a sorting job. World coins. Eagles vs junk vs bars.
If there is no stamp and it does not test, it is not a debate. It is costume.
Part of the coin shop counter wiki · visitors & collectors · NumisQ Learn
Extra pad history for European and Mexican silver
Europe did not wait for sterling to invent table silver. German, Dutch, French, and Scandinavian houses used .800 and .835 because those alloys were the local standard, not because someone was cheating. Mexico used .720 in some circulating coins because that was the mint’s law at the time. Later, border-town trays mixed those honest numbers with plate, alpaca, and “925” punches that never saw an assay office.
A US drawer trained on 90% silver will misread that tray. Sterling is .925. US dimes, quarters, and halves through 1964 are .900. Kennedy halves from 1965 through 1970 are 40% silver. War nickels 1942–45 are 35% silver. Canadian circulating silver from 1920 through 1966 is 80%. None of those facts make a Mexican .720 coin fake. They make it a different pile.
What the shop does with mixed world silver
We sort first. Libertads go with known bullion. Marked jewelry goes on the scale after a test. Unmarked spoons and hotel chains wait their turn. We do not pay sterling for .800. We do not pay coin-silver for plate. Hallmarks are a claim. The test in front of you is the bid.
If you dumped a family box, say so. Sorting takes time. Sort before you arrive if you can. Do not polish the spoons. Do not clean. A bright spoon is not a better spoon here. We write fineness and weight on the ticket so nobody mixes a Libertad ounce with a tourist bracelet.
People also ask
Is Mexican silver always sterling? No. Jewelry can be .925. Older coins can be .720. Tourist pieces can be anything that looks white.
Will a shop buy .800 European silver? Yes, as silver of that fineness, after a test. It is not US junk 90%.
Should I leave the stamps on? Yes. We want the marks. We will still test.
Is a Libertad the same as Mexican jewelry? No. A Libertad is a known bullion coin. A mixed hotel bag is a sorting job.