German silver is a copper alloy typically containing copper, nickel, and zinc. Despite its name, it contains no silver. The name originates from its silvery-white appearance, which makes it look similar to sterling silver.
‘German silver’ is used to make decorative articles, coinage metal, ornaments etc. The name is given because :
Asked in UPSC CDS 1 2016 · Topic: Alloys (Non-Ferrous Alloys: Copper-based (e.g., Brass, Bronze, German Silver))