<p>This study investigates the deposition behavior of silver and copper ions in a 5,5-dimethyl hydantoin system. The deposition mechanisms of these ions were explored using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry methods. By first depositing metal ions using the chronoamperometry method, and then dissolving the deposited metal using the linear sweep voltammetry method, the dissolution curve was analyzed to determine the order of silver and copper ions during the precipitation process. Furthermore, cyclic voltammetry curves obtained from negative sweeps at various potentials demonstrated that preferential copper nucleation generated highly active sites for subsequent silver deposition, thereby accelerating the deposition rate of silver ions. Optimal process parameters were determined, and the surface morphology within this range was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows that adding copper leads to wider silver (100) diffraction peaks and peak splitting, which may be related to the formation of the silver copper alloy phase. The hardness of the coating is about 90 ± 5 HV, which is equivalent to the hardness of cyanide-free silver plating. The Tafel curve analysis shows that the corrosion resistance of silver copper alloy coating is also comparable to that of silver coating.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>