1930's Sheaffer clip material?

[azkid]

I have this 1930's Junior Balance with a silver-colored metal clip. I was curious what metal was used?

It had a bunch of deep scratches that I swear revealed brass-colored material beneath and so I assumed it was plated, like so many nickel- and chrome-plated brass watch cases I have run across.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180514/618cab796d8b0d60aac1894b16128985.jpg

I decided to try sanding down to the brass and polishing it only to discover that, when done, it now looks all silvery. Like it isn't plated at all. Is this solid nickel?

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180514/b11f6186e5f1ff27274e962f128e5d0f.jpg
I am completely baffled. This doesn't look like stainless steel or anything else I have encountered.

Hoping someone can shed some light on this.

Thanks!

[Wuddus]

Unlikely to be solid nickel. Nickel isn't much use as a spring as I understand it. I think copper was used as an intermediate layer for final chrome plating on a lot of items in yesteryear. If this was triple plated, you'll have effectively sanded off the top coat and the layer of copper to get to whatever is below that... carbon steel I'd imagine. Is it magnetic?

[azkid]

Just tested; it is not magnetic.

[kirchh]

Likely chrome-plated nickel brass ("German silver"), which is an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc.


--Daniel