Vintage Taxco Pill Box Brooch Sterling Turtle / Tortoise—Crushed Stone in Resin Inlay on Silver Pillbox Hinged popular Shell Back w/ Catch Opens

This nice example of vintage handmade Taxco silversmithing takes the form of a turtle or desert tortoise and turns it into a combination pill box and brooch. The oval “shell” with a small hinge opens up when the opposite side of the shell top is pried open with the edge of the wearer's thumbnail. A small internal friction catch closes with a click when the shell top is pressed shut. The slightly domed oval shell top's random pattern of popular silver-divided sections (similar to champlevé enamel work) is inlaid with blueish-green crushed stone in an epoxy resin binder. The brooch fastener on other side is a hinged pin with a rollover safety clasp.

Size: the turtle measures about 1-5/8 inches long from nose to tail, by about 1-1/8 inches across from right paws to left paws. The shellback compartment measures about 1-3/16 inches long by 7/8 inch wide, by about 1/4 inch thick.

Materials: Sterling silver, crushed stone, epoxy resin.

Marks: stamped on the underside is a round mark with the words “TAXCO STERLING 925” encircling the maker's initials “MS”. Stamped on the underside of the turtle's left forepaw is a newer style Eagle 3 mark. The silversmith “MS” has not been identified. The Eagle 3 is a city of manufacture stamp associated with Taxco, Guerrero.

Age: the Mexican government Eagle mark system was in use from about 1948 to 1980. There is no firm date for the beginning of use for the newer style Eagle mark, but the change probably took place over a period of years sometime within that range. This turtle pill box brooch is estimated to have been made in the 1960s.

Condition: the brooch is in good vintage condition. The surface of the metal has the fine scratches and small dents consistent with vintage wear of 50 years or so. There is a moderate-to-medium grey-brown patina that has been left untouched at the Astra's Shadow shop. The crushed stone/resin inlay is in good condition. The hinged pin and catch are in good working order.

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