Anschluss Medal question

[Ammersee]

What metal is the Anschluss medal made from? It is silver in color, but is it real silver or just white metal? Thanks, Ammersee

[George Stimson]

It's not real silver, because if it was it would have to be stamped with a silver content mark. I've never seen or heard of one so marked.

[Ammersee]

I've been doing some checking and I found that this medal is brass/bronze with silver plating. The plating has a matte finish in the background, and the figures and eagle are more brightly polished.
I just bought one and wasn't sure if the grey color showing in some areas was zinc showing through or silver patina. Ammersee

[John F.]

I've been doing some checking and I found that this medal is brass/bronze with silver plating... I just bought one and wasn't sure if the grey color showing in some areas was zinc. Ammersee

Hi Ammersee,

I believe it is "German Silver", which is a copper alloy brass that resembles silver in color. The other metals within the alloy are nickel and zinc.

[Ammersee]

Solid German Silver instead of plating? I'll buy that theory as there are no areas on my medal that are worn through to a base metal.

I'm not sure about your "copper brass" alloy, though. Brass itself is an alloy of copper, tin, zinc, and lead, so adding copper and zinc to brass wouldn't make much sense. I would, however, believe they added nickel to silver to make German Silver. Ammersee

[John F.]

Just giving the abbreviated wikipedia description of "German Silver" aka: nickle silver .

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