What is nickel silver?

"Nickel silver" is an interesting name because the metal alloy referenced by the name contains no silver! It's a mixture of copper, nickel and zinc. Its polished surface bears a resemblance to silver and is used for flatware and for many other things such as woodwind instruments.

Many nickel silver flatware patterns have also been electroplated with silver to create silver plate pieces. However, this is not always the case.

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