Is there a reason to buy nickel plated brass over sterling silver for aesthetic purposes?

April 5, 2010 · Posted in Silver Updates · 2 Comments

I have a Morgan Silver Dollar money clip that was given to me on my college graduation and have always enjoyed using it until it broke. The actual Morgan Silver Dollar used in the clip was part of my friends deceased father collection, but when I inherited my own collection of coins from my grandmother I used her coin instead. The clip broke and I am now on the hunt for another one. They aren't so easily replaced, but I found two online sites with two different options. One option is 18 dollars and it is a nickel plated brass and the other option is for 38 and it is sterling silver. Now the old clip is stamped with a mark that reads STER and next to that is what looks like a circle with the letter F or P in it. Does this mean that the old clip was Sterling Silver? My real dilemma here is that I liked the clip so much that I thought I would buy two of them, one for the same Morgan Silver Dollar and a slightly larger one for a Silver Eagle. I have a super clean and very shinny Proof that I was thinking of putting into the larger clip if I decide to buy it. So if I go Sterling Silver then I am looking at 90 dollars or so for both of them. My real question, is besides the material differences, what's the differences between these two types of metals? I get Sterling Silver is a precious metal. If the clip I have now is sterling silver which the stamp STER probably indicates that it is, I can attest to the fact that they nick up and dull rather easily. Do the Nickel plated brass ones do this too? Is the nickel version of this clip simply a cheap option or would there actually be an aesthetic reason to buy this over the sterling versions. I'm thinking that nickel might not tarnish to easily and would stay shinny as well, then again what do I know. Advise please appreciated. Thanks

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2006 "W" AMERICAN EAGLE SILVER PROOF DOLLAR MINT 1OZ