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.

Birmingham hallmarks for 1919 inside an 18KT gold buckle ring by Thomas William Martin: maker's mark, crown and 18, anchor and date letter
Birmingham hallmarks for 1919 inside an 18KT gold buckle ring by Thomas William Martin: maker's mark, crown and 18, anchor and date letter. Photographed by us.

1773 to 1797

Roman capitals · rectangular/shield punch

No J.

  1. A1773-74
  2. B1774-75
  3. C1775-76
  4. D1776-77
  5. E1777-78
  6. F1778-79
  7. G1779-80
  8. H1780-81
  9. I1781-82
  10. K1782-83
  11. L1783-84
  12. M1784-85
  13. N1785-86
  14. O1786-87
  15. P1787-88
  16. Q1788-89
  17. R1789-90
  18. S1790-91
  19. T1791-92
  20. U1792-93
  21. V1793-94
  22. W1794-95
  23. X1795-96
  24. Y1796-97
  25. Z1797-98

1798 to 1823

Roman small letters · shield with pointed base

Full 26 letters: j used for 1807-08.

  1. a1798-99
  2. b1799-1800
  3. c1800-01
  4. d1801-02
  5. e1802-03
  6. f1803-04
  7. g1804-05
  8. h1805-06
  9. i1806-07
  10. j1807-08
  11. k1808-09
  12. l1809-10
  13. m1810-11
  14. n1811-12
  15. o1812-13
  16. p1813-14
  17. q1814-15
  18. r1815-16
  19. s1816-17
  20. t1817-18
  21. u1818-19
  22. v1819-20
  23. w1820-21
  24. x1821-22
  25. y1822-23
  26. z1823-24

1824 to 1848

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield, shape varies

Old English capitals. The 1832-33 letter is an Old English I, which resembles J in some tables.

  1. A1824-25
  2. B1825-26
  3. C1826-27
  4. D1827-28
  5. E1828-29
  6. F1829-30
  7. G1830-31
  8. H1831-32
  9. I1832-33
  10. K1833-34
  11. L1834-35
  12. M1835-36
  13. N1836-37
  14. O1837-38
  15. P1838-39
  16. Q1839-40
  17. R1840-41
  18. S1841-42
  19. T1842-43
  20. U1843-44
  21. V1844-45
  22. W1845-46
  23. X1846-47
  24. Y1847-48
  25. Z1848-49

1849 to 1874

Roman capitals · rectangle with clipped corners

Both I (1857-58) and J (1858-59) used.

  1. A1849-50
  2. B1850-51
  3. C1851-52
  4. D1852-53
  5. E1853-54
  6. F1854-55
  7. G1855-56
  8. H1856-57
  9. I1857-58
  10. J1858-59
  11. K1859-60
  12. L1860-61
  13. M1861-62
  14. N1862-63
  15. O1863-64
  16. P1864-65
  17. Q1865-66
  18. R1866-67
  19. S1867-68
  20. T1868-69
  21. U1869-70
  22. V1870-71
  23. W1871-72
  24. X1872-73
  25. Y1873-74
  26. Z1874-75

1875 to 1899

Old English (black-letter) small letters · oval/round punch

Old English small letters, no j.

  1. a1875-76
  2. b1876-77
  3. c1877-78
  4. d1878-79
  5. e1879-80
  6. f1880-81
  7. g1881-82
  8. h1882-83
  9. i1883-84
  10. k1884-85
  11. l1885-86
  12. m1886-87
  13. n1887-88
  14. o1888-89
  15. p1889-90
  16. q1890-91
  17. r1891-92
  18. s1892-93
  19. t1893-94
  20. u1894-95
  21. v1895-96
  22. w1896-97
  23. x1897-98
  24. y1898-99
  25. z1899-1900

1900 to 1924

Roman small letters · shield with waved lower edge

No j.

  1. a1900-01
  2. b1901-02
  3. c1902-03
  4. d1903-04
  5. e1904-05
  6. f1905-06
  7. g1906-07
  8. h1907-08
  9. i1908-09
  10. k1909-10
  11. l1910-11
  12. m1911-12
  13. n1912-13
  14. o1913-14
  15. p1914-15
  16. q1915-16
  17. r1916-17
  18. s1917-18
  19. t1918-19
  20. u1919-20
  21. v1920-21
  22. w1921-22
  23. x1922-23
  24. y1923-24
  25. z1924-25

1925 to 1949

Roman capitals · rectangle with cut corners

No I; J used for 1933-34.

  1. A1925-26
  2. B1926-27
  3. C1927-28
  4. D1928-29
  5. E1929-30
  6. F1930-31
  7. G1931-32
  8. H1932-33
  9. J1933-34
  10. K1934-35
  11. L1935-36
  12. M1936-37
  13. N1937-38
  14. O1938-39
  15. P1939-40
  16. Q1940-41
  17. R1941-42
  18. S1942-43
  19. T1943-44
  20. U1944-45
  21. V1945-46
  22. W1946-47
  23. X1947-48
  24. Y1948-49
  25. Z1949-50

1950 to 1974

Italic capitals · square with waved sides

1958-59 italic I (some tables print it as J). Z ran until the unified UK cycle began 1 January 1975.

  1. A1950-51
  2. B1951-52
  3. C1952-53
  4. D1953-54
  5. E1954-55
  6. F1955-56
  7. G1956-57
  8. H1957-58
  9. I1958-59
  10. K1959-60
  11. L1960-61
  12. M1961-62
  13. N1962-63
  14. O1963-64
  15. P1964-65
  16. Q1965-66
  17. R1966-67
  18. S1967-68
  19. T1968-69
  20. U1969-70
  21. V1970-71
  22. W1971-72
  23. X1972-73
  24. Y1973-74
  25. 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

Script capitals · shield

No J. Optional jubilee mark 1977; millennium mark 1999-2000.

  1. A1975
  2. B1976
  3. C1977
  4. D1978
  5. E1979
  6. F1980
  7. G1981
  8. H1982
  9. I1983
  10. K1984
  11. L1985
  12. M1986
  13. N1987
  14. O1988
  15. P1989
  16. Q1990
  17. R1991
  18. S1992
  19. T1993
  20. U1994
  21. V1995
  22. W1996
  23. X1997
  24. Y1998
  25. Z1999

2000 to 2024

Roman small letters · shield

No i: j used for 2008 (Birmingham Assay Office). z = 2024 (London Assay Office).

  1. a2000
  2. b2001
  3. c2002
  4. d2003
  5. e2004
  6. f2005
  7. g2006
  8. h2007
  9. j2008
  10. k2009
  11. l2010
  12. m2011
  13. n2012
  14. o2013
  15. p2014
  16. q2015
  17. r2016
  18. s2017
  19. t2018
  20. u2019
  21. v2020
  22. w2021
  23. x2022
  24. y2023
  25. z2024

2025 to 2049

Roman capitals · shield

New serif capital series: A = 2025 (Sheffield Assay Office), B = 2026 (Birmingham Assay Office). Later years added as they are struck.

  1. A2025
  2. 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.
Birmingham hallmarks with the maker's mark ET for Edward Thomason along the edge of a Victorian silver card case
Birmingham hallmarks with the maker's mark ET for Edward Thomason along the edge of a Victorian silver card case. Photographed by us.

Marks recorded on Birmingham silver

  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1776-7, from Jackson (1921)1776-7Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1799, from Jackson (1921)1799Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1802-3, from Jackson (1921)1802-3Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1810-1, from Jackson (1921)1810-1Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1814-5, from Jackson (1921)1814-5Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1819, from Jackson (1921)1819Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1822-3, from Jackson (1921)1822-3Recorded on Birmingham silver
  • A mark recorded on Birmingham silver of 1832-3, from Jackson (1921)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?

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