Abstract: The invention relates to a contact element for a solder-free electrical connection. The contact element has at least one contact section that is designed to produce an electrical contact, in particular by means of insulation displacement terminations and/or a spring contact and/or crimping and/or riveting and/or screwing and/or caulking and/or folding and/or bending of a stamped grid. The invention also relates to a stannous surface coating that covers the contact element at least in sections. In order to provide a contact element having a lead-free surface coating that prevents whisker growth or minimizes such growth to a large extent, the surface coating contains between 15 and 73 mass percent of silver.