Nickel silver is a silvery-white alloy of copper, nickel and zinc that contains no silver at all. Also known as German silver, it was developed in Europe in the early nineteenth century as an affordable substitute for silver, based on an alloy long known in China as paktong.
Nickel silver proved ideal for cutlery, tableware and fittings, as it is hard, durable, resistant to corrosion and closely resembles silver in colour. Its greatest importance came with the introduction of electroplating in the 1840s, when firms such as Elkington of Birmingham began to coat nickel silver objects with a layer of pure silver. The resulting wares are commonly marked EPNS, standing for electroplated nickel silver, and they largely replaced Old Sheffield Plate. Nickel silver was also used unplated for musical instruments, keys, scientific instrument parts, buckles and decorative metalwork. Marks on nickel silver and EPNS wares sometimes imitate hallmarks, but they have no legal standing and should not be confused with sterling silver marks. When the silver plating wears through on EPNS, the slightly yellower nickel silver base becomes visible. Collectors value good quality pieces from known makers and examples with little wear to the plating.
