N SILVER mark on old fork

Hakka · Oct 17, 2018

Hi everyone,
Very new to metal detecting and this forum.
I have an old silver fork that my wife found. It has a mark on the back N SILVER
Does anyone know exactly what this means or where I can find out what it means please?
Thanks in advance
Hakka

tailormarc · Oct 17, 2018

Hey mate and welcome! Could be Nickle silver?

Hakka · Oct 17, 2018

Thanks for the welcome.... Could be that, there is a really faint gold/brassy colour on the edge of the handle. Maybe is plated and has started to rub off?

Simmo · Oct 17, 2018

Does this help??
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/558164947545483163/?lp=true

grubstake · Oct 17, 2018

Hakka said:
I have an old silver fork that my wife found. It has a mark on the back N SILVER
Does anyone know exactly what this means or where I can find out what it means please?

It's Nickel Silver, a common material used for making cheap cutlery and other such housewares before stainless steel became available. There's no actual silver involved, just the silver-coloured nickel/zinc/copper alloy. It's often used as just plating material on a brass object, usually labelled EPNS for "Electro-Plated Nickel Silver".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel_silver

grubstake · Oct 17, 2018

Simmo said:
Does this help??
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/558164947545483163/?lp=true

No, sorry but that's all about actual hallmarked silverware - nickel silver is an alloy that contains no actual silver at all.

Simmo · Oct 17, 2018

All good!! Just trying to help?!

user 4386 · Oct 17, 2018

grubstake said:
Simmo said:

Does this help??
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/558164947545483163/?lp=true

Click to expand...

No, sorry but that's all about actual hallmarked silverware - nickel silver is an alloy that contains no actual silver at all.

Correct - "Nickel silver, Maillechort, German silver, Argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, alpacca, is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named due to its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated".

Hakka · Oct 18, 2018

Thanks everyone for your help......problem solved.

N SILVER mark on old fork

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