Birmingham Date Letters
Birmingham date letters from 1773 to 1974, and the UK letters used since 1975. Type the letter on your piece to see every year it could be, then match its shape and shield in the tables.

1773 to 1797
No J.
- A1773-74
- B1774-75
- C1775-76
- D1776-77
- E1777-78
- F1778-79
- G1779-80
- H1780-81
- I1781-82
- K1782-83
- L1783-84
- M1784-85
- N1785-86
- O1786-87
- P1787-88
- Q1788-89
- R1789-90
- S1790-91
- T1791-92
- U1792-93
- V1793-94
- W1794-95
- X1795-96
- Y1796-97
- Z1797-98
1798 to 1823
Full 26 letters: j used for 1807-08.
- a1798-99
- b1799-1800
- c1800-01
- d1801-02
- e1802-03
- f1803-04
- g1804-05
- h1805-06
- i1806-07
- j1807-08
- k1808-09
- l1809-10
- m1810-11
- n1811-12
- o1812-13
- p1813-14
- q1814-15
- r1815-16
- s1816-17
- t1817-18
- u1818-19
- v1819-20
- w1820-21
- x1821-22
- y1822-23
- z1823-24
1824 to 1848
Old English capitals. The 1832-33 letter is an Old English I, which resembles J in some tables.
- A1824-25
- B1825-26
- C1826-27
- D1827-28
- E1828-29
- F1829-30
- G1830-31
- H1831-32
- I1832-33
- K1833-34
- L1834-35
- M1835-36
- N1836-37
- O1837-38
- P1838-39
- Q1839-40
- R1840-41
- S1841-42
- T1842-43
- U1843-44
- V1844-45
- W1845-46
- X1846-47
- Y1847-48
- Z1848-49
1849 to 1874
Both I (1857-58) and J (1858-59) used.
- A1849-50
- B1850-51
- C1851-52
- D1852-53
- E1853-54
- F1854-55
- G1855-56
- H1856-57
- I1857-58
- J1858-59
- K1859-60
- L1860-61
- M1861-62
- N1862-63
- O1863-64
- P1864-65
- Q1865-66
- R1866-67
- S1867-68
- T1868-69
- U1869-70
- V1870-71
- W1871-72
- X1872-73
- Y1873-74
- Z1874-75
1875 to 1899
Old English small letters, no j.
- a1875-76
- b1876-77
- c1877-78
- d1878-79
- e1879-80
- f1880-81
- g1881-82
- h1882-83
- i1883-84
- k1884-85
- l1885-86
- m1886-87
- n1887-88
- o1888-89
- p1889-90
- q1890-91
- r1891-92
- s1892-93
- t1893-94
- u1894-95
- v1895-96
- w1896-97
- x1897-98
- y1898-99
- z1899-1900
1900 to 1924
No j.
- a1900-01
- b1901-02
- c1902-03
- d1903-04
- e1904-05
- f1905-06
- g1906-07
- h1907-08
- i1908-09
- k1909-10
- l1910-11
- m1911-12
- n1912-13
- o1913-14
- p1914-15
- q1915-16
- r1916-17
- s1917-18
- t1918-19
- u1919-20
- v1920-21
- w1921-22
- x1922-23
- y1923-24
- z1924-25
1925 to 1949
No I; J used for 1933-34.
- A1925-26
- B1926-27
- C1927-28
- D1928-29
- E1929-30
- F1930-31
- G1931-32
- H1932-33
- J1933-34
- K1934-35
- L1935-36
- M1936-37
- N1937-38
- O1938-39
- P1939-40
- Q1940-41
- R1941-42
- S1942-43
- T1943-44
- U1944-45
- V1945-46
- W1946-47
- X1947-48
- Y1948-49
- Z1949-50
1950 to 1974
1958-59 italic I (some tables print it as J). Z ran until the unified UK cycle began 1 January 1975.
- A1950-51
- B1951-52
- C1952-53
- D1953-54
- E1954-55
- F1955-56
- G1956-57
- H1957-58
- I1958-59
- K1959-60
- L1960-61
- M1961-62
- N1962-63
- O1963-64
- P1964-65
- Q1965-66
- R1966-67
- S1967-68
- T1968-69
- U1969-70
- V1970-71
- W1971-72
- X1972-73
- Y1973-74
- Z1974 (Jul-31 Dec)
Since 1975: one letter for every UK office
1 January each year, same letter at every UK assay office (London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh) since 1975; optional mark since 1999.
1975 to 1999
No J. Optional jubilee mark 1977; millennium mark 1999-2000.
- A1975
- B1976
- C1977
- D1978
- E1979
- F1980
- G1981
- H1982
- I1983
- K1984
- L1985
- M1986
- N1987
- O1988
- P1989
- Q1990
- R1991
- S1992
- T1993
- U1994
- V1995
- W1996
- X1997
- Y1998
- Z1999
2000 to 2024
No i: j used for 2008 (Birmingham Assay Office). z = 2024 (London Assay Office).
- a2000
- b2001
- c2002
- d2003
- e2004
- f2005
- g2006
- h2007
- j2008
- k2009
- l2010
- m2011
- n2012
- o2013
- p2014
- q2015
- r2016
- s2017
- t2018
- u2019
- v2020
- w2021
- x2022
- y2023
- z2024
2025 to 2049
New serif capital series: A = 2025 (Sheffield Assay Office), B = 2026 (Birmingham Assay Office). Later years added as they are struck.
- A2025
- B2026
How to read a Birmingham hallmark
- AnchorThe Birmingham town mark, shown upright on silver.
- Date letterOne letter for each assay year (change day at Birmingham: July each year until 1974). Its case, letter style and shield all matter.
- Maker's markThe initials of the maker or sponsor.

Marks recorded on Birmingham silver
1776-7Recorded on Birmingham silver
1799Recorded on Birmingham silver
1802-3Recorded on Birmingham silver
1810-1Recorded on Birmingham silver
1814-5Recorded on Birmingham silver
1819Recorded on Birmingham silver
1822-3Recorded on Birmingham silver
1832-3Recorded on Birmingham silver
Marks reproduced from Jackson, English Goldsmiths and their Marks (1921), one from each period. Date letters checked against Jackson, English Goldsmiths and their Marks (1921), and the assay office records.
Selling Birmingham silver?
Send us photographs of the piece and its marks for a free valuation. We buy antique and modern silver, and you can decline any offer.
Related
- The Birmingham Assay Office guide
- British silver hallmarks
- The UK assay offices
- London date letters, every cycle
- Sheffield date letters, every cycle
- Chester date letters, every cycle
- Edinburgh date letters, every cycle
- Dublin date letters, every cycle
- Exeter date letters, every cycle
- Newcastle date letters, every cycle
- Sell your silver