ek1 silver?

[tbgbc]

can any one tell me what the ww2 ek1 is made from, ive read on the forum about the back being silvered metal but i thought it was solid silver , can anyone enlighten me please.

[streptile]

1939 EKs are made from different kinds of non-silver alloys, collectively known as "neusilber" but also known sometimes as "nickel silver" or even "German silver." Sometimes these alloys have a generally silver-colored appearance (early B.H. Mayers) so need little silvering, sometimes they are more brassy (most Deumers) so they need to be silvered. The differences result from different alloys being used. Nevertheless, most are silver plated anyway, regardless of the natural underlying color of the alloy.

Real silver 1939 EKs are very rare.

You can find real silver on a few types that I've seen:

• B-Type EK2s (prototypes that went into production manufactured by Deschler, Munich, also erroneously called the "Schinkel-B");
• Übergröße (Oversize) EK2s;
• Some private purchase EK1s.

Both the first types are 2. Class only, and both types also come in non-silver alloy. To find a real silver 1939 EK1 is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult goals of an EK collector, and one I still hope to achieve myself. Off the top of my head I can think of only one or two authentic silver 1939 EK1s I've seen in my life.

I've seen a lot of EKs claimed to be silver, but most are in my opinion not silver. Even some marked "800" are only silver plated.

[tbgbc]

thank you

great answer, thank you.
gary