Silver Plated Silverware & Dishes can be Brass or Nickel

Here is another video we put together awhile ago.



Thing is is we come across silver plated items stamped EPNS which stands for (electro-plated nickel silver) My junk yard only takes it as brass. Hope this help someone!

I watched this a while back. Forgot all about it. Tip to everyone: Check your local thrift stores. Can't speak for all of them, but ours here will sell them in good size bundles for like .50 or even less sometimes.

Originally Posted by jeb1212

The usual acronym is EPNS (electro-plated nickel silver).

The metal under silver plate could be nickel silver AKA German silver or cupronickel.

German silver is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc.

Cupronickel can vary from 30% copper/ 70% nickel to 90% copper/ 10% nickel.

There must be some nonferrous scrap yards that pay a proper price for German silver and cupronickel. I don't know of any.

Thank you so much!!! I also edited my post to reflect the correct acronym.

Originally Posted by GreenTruckR

...... White Brass ??? I know about Yellow Brass & Red Brass, but Iv'e never heard of white brass?

There is magnetic Stainless steel. Stainless steel is a interesting metal, there are numerous types of stainless, there is even some non-magnetic stainless that can be turned into magnetic via.
(1) high voltage current surge, (2) High Heat treating (3) Bending it a certain way, "Industrial process"

Well it sounds and looks as though you guys are having fun down there,
Best wishes,
GreenTruckR

Yeah we learned about the stainless steel after making this vid. However, our Nonferrous Junk Yard will not take any stainless unless it does not stick. Therefore we just bring to the metal yard. Metal Yard is paying 10 cents per pound while other people told us that low grade stainless is 12 cents. So I guess we are not losing out on much. As far as white brass there is such a thing. Just has 50% more zinc then copper and such... in it. Though the silverware pieces are probably a mixture of silver nickel. AND we do HAVE A LOT OF FUN!!! LOL My mama always told me to do something I love when I grow up. I wonder if she ever knew that it would be digging through garbage and scrapping LMAO!!!