Postby Qrt.S » Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:19 am
This question pops up rather often, so below an explanation of the whole story:
The letters are Cyrillic МНЦ being an abbreviation of Медь, Никель and Цинк (Latin MNTs for Copper, Nickel and Zinc) . The 8p 00 is the price i.e. 8 Rubles 00 Kopek. In Soviet the price was usually "printed" on the goods in order the prevent "speculations "with it. Below a "translated" extract from a Soviet Encyclopedia:
Meaning of the word "Melchior" in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia: German silver
Melchior (It. Melchior, the distortion of the French. Maillechort, on behalf of France. Inventors of this alloy Maillot and Chorier), copper alloy is mainly nickel (5-30%). German silver
- Single-phase alloy, which is a solid solution; well pressure is processed in the hot and cold state, after annealing has a tensile strength of about 400 MN / m2 (40 kgf / mm2). The most valuable feature Melchior - high resistance to corrosion in air, fresh water and sea water. The increased nickel content as well as iron and manganese additives provide improved corrosion and cavitation resistance, particularly in sea water and water vapor in the atmosphere. MNZhMts 30-0,8-1 alloy (30% Ni, 0,8% Fe, 1% Mn) used in marine shipbuilding, in particular for the manufacture of the condenser tubes. Due nickel Melchior, in contrast to brass and bronze is not yellowish, a silver color that is a combination of high corrosion resistance predestined application MN19 alloy (19% Ni) for the manufacture of glassware, and others. Goods consumer, including checks. Before Melchior called not only to copper-nickel alloys, and alloys of copper with nickel and zinc (nickel silvers) and even silver-plated brass, so products made from these materials are often referred to as German silver.
The underlining is made by me.
The capercailie is a logo of a factory in Leningrad (?), which name I unfortunately cannot recall for the moment.