Metal compound made to resemble silver; a nickel-silver with 66% copper, 24% zinc, and 10% nickel.
"This alloy is very white and fine-grained, and has great tenacity. It is used in place of brass or gun metal where a superior polish is required and is composed of copper and nickel, to which, according to the different purposes for which it is desired, zinc, lead and tin are added." From The Manual Of Receipts Being A Collection Of Formuler; And Process For Artisans by Sidney Paine Johnston published in 1899
NOTES: 1. Can also refer to any metal compound made to resemble silver.
2. "Nickel Alloys - German silver is perhaps the most important alloy of nickel, and consists essentially of nickel, copper, and zinc. Different names are used to signify the same substance, such as : Nickel-Silver, Argentan, Packfong, White-Copper, Weisskupfer, Neu-Silver, and Maillechort. Besides these, different manufacturers employ fanciful names to denote alloys containing different proportions of the constituent metals, which they consider best suited to produce a given result, a good white colour being a great desideratum. Thus Nevada Silver, Virginia Silver, Potosi Silver, Silveroid, Silverite, Electrum, Afenide, Argiroide, etc.,are simply German silver,but in some cases a little cobalt is present as well as nickel, and some makers add a small quantity of iron or manganese. 1 to 3 percent, of lead is sometimes added for castwork." A.H. Hiorns. Principles of Metallurgy. London. 1914
SEE: nickel-silver
Wellsell's silveroid
