Silver is for werewolves, it has no effect on vampires.
As you noted earlier, in the old traditions, vampires are not killed by sunlight. That idea was introduced in F. W. Murnau's 1922 film Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens. The film was an unauthorized version of Dracula & Murnau may have changed the ending either to differ from the source material or for ease of filming. What ever the reason, the idea that vampires are destroyed by sunlight became ingrained in popular culture.
Also, while vampires have an aversion to sacred images & can be warded off by them, the idea that a cross will destroy a vampire is the invention of the movies. However, being nailed to a sacred symbol may cause the female vampire an extra measure of pain the others wouldn't experience.
There was one of the Hammer movies where Van Helsing kills Dracula by forcing him into the shadow of a windmill whose vanes form a cross. It has to be the silliest vampire death ever. It's OK though, he came back in the next movie.