An object of the present invention is to provide a lead frame and a material for lead frame which insure excellent bonding and enables substantial reduction of time for production because such processes as plating are not required and furthermore are excellent in abration resistance.The present invention is characterized in that a silver layer having a construction where amplitude of a refracted ray refracted on the (200) surface is 1/3 or more of the amplitude of refracted X ray refracted on the (111) surface comprises an outer lead section of the base material for the lead frame. The base material is preferably copper, copper-alloy, iron, or iron alloy. The silver layer is formed, for instance, by means of silver plating, and the thickness is preferably in a range from 8 m to 30 m. An intermediate layer may be provided between a surface of the base material and the silver layer.