Alkaline battery

An alkaline battery constructed of a cathode can (1) and an anode cup (3) in such a way that an open end of the cathode can is sealed by the anode cup, with a gasket (2) interposed between them, characterized in that the open end of the anode cup is folded back in U-shape along its periphery and the fold is tightened for hermetic sealing by the internal periphery of the open end of the cathode can, with the gasket interposed between them, the anode cup has a higher hydrogen over potential material coating layer (34) formed in a limited region on the inside thereof excluding the bottom of the U-shaped fold and the outer periphery of the fold, the cathode can contains the cathode active material (4) and silver-nickelite (AgNiO2), the anode cup contains the anode mix (6) which is mercury-free zinc or zinc alloy powder as the anode active material.