Silver-iron materials for electrical switching contacts with properties which come very close to those of silver-nickel materials formed of 0.5 to 20% by weight iron 0.5 to 5% by one or more of the elements rhenium, iridium, and ruthenium, and 0.05 to 2% by weight of one or more of the oxides magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, yttrium oxide, lanthanum oxide, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, cerium oxide, niobium oxide, tantalum oxide, chromium oxide, manganese oxide, iron oxide, zinc oxide, copper oxide, aluminum oxide, indium oxide, silicon oxide, and tin oxide, the balance being silver.