German Silver, which was a popular material for trade items in the 19th century, is actually a copper alloy with nickel included. This earring was found at the Shawnee Indian Mission in Fairway, Kansas. Some documentation indicates that it may have belong at one time to an Otoe woman named Wenowna. The earring's hinged attachment fits into a hole in the diamond shaped knob. The circular earring is decorated with scallops along the edge, a border of crescents and a circle of triangles in the center with their apex pointing toward the center.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
German Silver Earring from the Shawnee Indian Mission, 14JO362 - 1