Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of an electrically conductive metallic strip for the production of plug contact elements. A starting strip of copper or a copper alloy having an initial thickness which is greater than its final thickness is tin-plated. Subsequently, the tin-plated copper strip is deformed by rolling. This rolling process reduces both the thickness of the layer of tin and the thickness of the underlying copper strip.

Abstract: In order to reduce the plug-in and tensile pulling forces of an electrical connector pair, the coating on the plug element of a socket and plug connector pair is given greater hardness than that for the other plug element. To this end, the base material (e.g., of a male plug) is given a surface coating of an alloy applied using the molten method. Besides tin and possibly lead (as well as small amounts of deoxidization and processing additives), this alloy also contains up to a total of 10% by weight of at least one element selected from the group consisting of silver, aluminum, silicon, copper, magnesium, iron, nickel, manganese, zinc, zirconium, antimony, rhodium, palladium and platinum. The melting point of the coating material preferably does not exceed 320.degree. C.