Taxco Mexican Sterling Silver

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Within the Aztec Empire, Taxco silver was mined as one of the goods used as currency to pay tribute and taxes to their Aztec Rulers by citizens and merchants. There was no official currency in the Aztecian Empire; but silver was one of the items used as a function of money.

The rulers of the Aztecian Triple Alliance collected tributes from citizens and taxes from merchants based on the value of their services. Failure to pay was punishable by death, slavery or confiscation of property.

The many of the Aztec merchants were farmers that actually developed an ingenious method of hydroponic gardening. They actually built rafts out of reeds to create floating islands for their gardens of vegetables and flowers. These floating islands were called chinampas and would successfully sustain civilizations of 200,000 people.