What does the abbreviation MNC on a spoon mean?
Spoons marked MNC are a valuable gift that every hostess will love. There is no shame in serving them to the table, even if the people gathered around it are not poor. And all because it is almost impossible to distinguish such spoons from noble silverware. But what kind of MNC is this? What does the mark say?
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What does MNC mean on a spoon?
This abbreviation stands for copper-nickel-zinc. An alloy of these three metals is called nickel silver (from the German neusilber - “new silver”). The most typical combination for cutlery consists of 65% copper, 15% nickel and 20% zinc, which is sometimes marked in the form of a mark made in the MNC 15–20 format.
Sometimes nickel silver spoons are called cupronickel, which is not entirely true. Cupronickel is an alloy of copper and nickel, a more expensive imitation of silver, which became widespread much earlier than nickel silver.
Properties and features of spoons marked MNC
This alloy itself is very similar to silverware. So much so that without special markings, it would be incredibly difficult to visually distinguish one from the other. But nickel silver is still much lighter and stronger than silver, thanks to which experienced users have a chance to determine “what is what” by picking up a spoon.
Nickel silver must be silvered, since the pure alloy gives it a metallic taste upon contact with food.That is why you should not use spoons that have deep scratches that have a slight yellow or reddish tint.
Cutlery made from this alloy is also highly resistant to corrosion, so it is easier to store and requires cleaning less often. But at the same time, caring for nickel silver spoons is still not without a number of limitations.
How to clean and store spoons from MNC
According to GOST, cutlery made of nickel silver must be plated with silver. In this case, the coating thickness is at least 18 microns for knife handles and cup holders. And from 24 microns for all other cutlery, including spoons.
With proper care, this layer of silver can reliably protect nickel silver from contact with food. But cleaning cutlery with abrasives can damage this coating, which is less than half the thickness of a human hair. This means that you should only use gentle cleaning methods.
Well, as for storage, there are only two serious recommendations on this matter. First, spoons with the MNC mark are stored in a dry place, away from heat sources. Second, it is best to wrap dry nickel silver cutlery in foil or cling film before putting it in a drawer.
Following these simple recommendations will allow you to maintain a noble shine longer, preventing oxidation and clouding of the silver layer. And this, in turn, will eliminate the need to resort to cleaning too often, each of which entails the risk of damaging the coating.
The word “neusilber” is correct in German NOISILBER, in German pronunciation it sounds like “neusilber”, in the sense of almost inaudible at the end of R. :)
Pronunciation in German has changed over time. When this alloy was invented, it was called nickel silver according to the rules of that time. Just like modern Heinz is Heinz, and Hitler is Hitler. And the German language itself, Deutsch, was called Deutsch during the Great Patriotic War. Many words change their sound when entering a foreign language. So the little-pronounceable word in modern German R has become hard in the Russian version. What's the point of changing the pronunciation of a word that has become Russian?
Hee hee, a working guest in Russian has become a guest worker, and out of school habit I stubbornly call him a guest worker.
MSC is copper, nickel, zinc, fir-pal.l What is a valuable gift for monks?!! Regular nickel silver.
Can you please tell me what kind of mark this is on my fork?
there is a stamp resembling a maple leaf, and then everything is up to me
well-known - MNTs, Ts 3-30, and the USSR quality mark.
I have never seen a stamp with a “maple leaf” anywhere and no one knows what it is.
I can send you a photo via email.
People who are not poor prefer cutlery with the Christofle logo
As it turned out, I have a table set with the stamp “Kolchugin Plant, MNTs”. I'm tired of cleaning them, they turn black quickly. They are at least 50 years old!
In Soviet times, MNCs were not silvered. The spoons from the MSC willingly turned dark and green. I got some defective spoons from the Moscow Scientific Center for free and wanted to sell them to jewelers. They didn’t take it - the alloy is very hard compared to silver, and it’s difficult to process hemorrhoids. Shit for women who want to show off. Only a sucker can pass off cutlery as silver - MNC is darker. If you buy silver-plated spoons and forks, ordinary steel is now high-quality silvered.