german silver

1. Alternative letter-case form of German silver

plural German silvers · alternative german silver · alternative German-silver

1. uncountableusuallyCupronickel, nickel silver; specifically the variety developed by 19th-century German metalworkers, an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc.

   Mr. Briggs recommended plated medals, on German silver, as the best.

   1841, John Yonge Akerman, editor, The Numismatic Chronicle, Volume IV: April 1841—January 1842, page 175

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   German silver is noted for its whiteness, lustre, brilliance, tenacity, and toughness, and its power of resisting chemical influences.

   1907, [D. McKay], Paul N. Hasluck, Metalworking: Old-fashioned Tools, Materials, and Processes for the Handyman, Skyhorse Publishing, published 2011, page 8

   —Platinoid, the professor said solemnly, is preferred to German silver because it has a lower coefficient of resistance by changes of temperature.

   1916, James Joyce, chapter V, in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, New York, N.Y.: B[enjamin] W. Huebsch, →OCLC

   Of these, unquestionably, the most popular are the German silvers, i.e., the alloys of nickel, copper, and zinc.

   1922, Metal Industry, volume 21, page 129

   German silvers are also used in ornamental hardware, costume jewelry, valves, rivets, springs, and plumbing fixtures. A typical German silver contains about 66% copper, 17% nickel, and 17% zinc.

   1998, The Encyclopedia Americana: International Edition, Volume 1, page 582

   Between 1865 and 1880, the supply of German silver increased greatly, leading to an abundance of items manufactured from it and a decline in its value as a rare commodity. Southern Plains metalsmiths produced horse gear, pectorals and crosses, earrings, finger rings, other jewelry, and decorative objects with German silver.

   1999, Daniel C. Swan, Peyote Religious Art: Symbols of Faith and Belief, University Press of Mississippi, page 63

   Synonyms: albata, argentan, cupronickel, electrum, maillechort, new silver, nickel brass, nickel silver