Chester Date Letters

Chester date letters from 1701 to 1962, when the assay office closed. Type the letter on your piece to see every year it could be, then match its shape and shield in the tables.

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Chester hallmarks for 1918 inside an 18KT gold signet ring: maker's mark JH, crown and 18, the Chester arms and the date letter S
Chester hallmarks for 1918 inside an 18KT gold signet ring: maker's mark JH, crown and 18, the Chester arms and the date letter S. Photographed by us.

1701 to 1725

Roman capitals · square/shield punch

No J.

  1. A1701-02
  2. B1702-03
  3. C1703-04
  4. D1704-05
  5. E1705-06
  6. F1706-07
  7. G1707-08
  8. H1708-09
  9. I1709-10
  10. K1710-11
  11. L1711-12
  12. M1712-13
  13. N1713-14
  14. O1714-15
  15. P1715-16
  16. Q1716-17
  17. R1717-18
  18. S1718-19
  19. T1719-20
  20. U1720-21
  21. V1721-22
  22. W1722-23
  23. X1723-24
  24. Y1724-25
  25. Z1725-26

1726 to 1750

Script capitals · octagonal punch

Script capitals, no J. Same letter style reused 1901-25 (different town mark).

  1. A1726-27
  2. B1727-28
  3. C1728-29
  4. D1729-30
  5. E1730-31
  6. F1731-32
  7. G1732-33
  8. H1733-34
  9. I1734-35
  10. K1735-36
  11. L1736-37
  12. M1737-38
  13. N1738-39
  14. O1739-40
  15. P1740-41
  16. Q1741-42
  17. R1742-43
  18. S1743-44
  19. T1744-45
  20. U1745-46
  21. V1746-47
  22. W1747-48
  23. X1748-49
  24. Y1749-50
  25. Z1750-51

1776 to 1796

Roman small letters · octagonal punch

No j. Two forms of 'i' in 1784-85 (with and without duty mark).

  1. a1776-77
  2. b1777-78
  3. c1778-79
  4. d1779-80
  5. e1780-81
  6. f1781-82
  7. g1782-83
  8. h1783-84
  9. i1784-85
  10. k1785-86
  11. l1786-87
  12. m1787-88
  13. n1788-89
  14. o1789-90
  15. p1790-91
  16. q1791-92
  17. r1792-93
  18. s1793-94
  19. t1794-95
  20. u1795-96
  21. v1796-97

1797 to 1817

Roman capitals · square/shield punch

No J.

  1. A1797-98
  2. B1798-99
  3. C1799-1800
  4. D1800-01
  5. E1801-02
  6. F1802-03
  7. G1803-04
  8. H1804-05
  9. I1805-06
  10. K1806-07
  11. L1807-08
  12. M1808-09
  13. N1809-10
  14. O1810-11
  15. P1811-12
  16. Q1812-13
  17. R1813-14
  18. S1814-15
  19. T1815-16
  20. U1816-17
  21. V1817-18

1818 to 1838

Roman capitals · square punch with clipped corners

D covered two years (1821-23).

  1. A1818-19
  2. B1819-20
  3. C1820-21
  4. D1821-23
  5. E1823-24
  6. F1824-25
  7. G1825-26
  8. H1826-27
  9. I1827-28
  10. K1828-29
  11. L1829-30
  12. M1830-31
  13. N1831-32
  14. O1832-33
  15. P1833-34
  16. Q1834-35
  17. R1835-36
  18. S1836-37
  19. T1837-38
  20. U1838-39

1839 to 1863

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield

Old English capitals, no J.

  1. A1839-40
  2. B1840-41
  3. C1841-42
  4. D1842-43
  5. E1843-44
  6. F1844-45
  7. G1845-46
  8. H1846-47
  9. I1847-48
  10. K1848-49
  11. L1849-50
  12. M1850-51
  13. N1851-52
  14. O1852-53
  15. P1853-54
  16. Q1854-55
  17. R1855-56
  18. S1856-57
  19. T1857-58
  20. U1858-59
  21. V1859-60
  22. W1860-61
  23. X1861-62
  24. Y1862-63
  25. Z1863-64

1864 to 1883

Old English (black-letter) small letters · shield with cut corners

Old English small letters, no j.

  1. a1864-65
  2. b1865-66
  3. c1866-67
  4. d1867-68
  5. e1868-69
  6. f1869-70
  7. g1870-71
  8. h1871-72
  9. i1872-73
  10. k1873-74
  11. l1874-75
  12. m1875-76
  13. n1876-77
  14. o1877-78
  15. p1878-79
  16. q1879-80
  17. r1880-81
  18. s1881-82
  19. t1882-83
  20. u1883-84

1884 to 1900

Roman capitals · rectangle with cut corners

Roman capitals A to R.

  1. A1884-85
  2. B1885-86
  3. C1886-87
  4. D1887-88
  5. E1888-89
  6. F1889-90
  7. G1890-91
  8. H1891-92
  9. I1892-93
  10. K1893-94
  11. L1894-95
  12. M1895-96
  13. N1896-97
  14. O1897-98
  15. P1898-99
  16. Q1899-1900
  17. R1900-01

1901 to 1925

Script capitals · shield

Script capitals like 1726-50; no crowned leopard's head in this cycle.

  1. A1901-02
  2. B1902-03
  3. C1903-04
  4. D1904-05
  5. E1905-06
  6. F1906-07
  7. G1907-08
  8. H1908-09
  9. I1909-10
  10. K1910-11
  11. L1911-12
  12. M1912-13
  13. N1913-14
  14. O1914-15
  15. P1915-16
  16. Q1916-17
  17. R1917-18
  18. S1918-19
  19. T1919-20
  20. U1920-21
  21. V1921-22
  22. W1922-23
  23. X1923-24
  24. Y1924-25
  25. Z1925-26

1926 to 1950

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield

Old English capitals; J (not I) for 1934-35.

  1. A1926-27
  2. B1927-28
  3. C1928-29
  4. D1929-30
  5. E1930-31
  6. F1931-32
  7. G1932-33
  8. H1933-34
  9. J1934-35
  10. K1935-36
  11. L1936-37
  12. M1937-38
  13. N1938-39
  14. O1939-40
  15. P1940-41
  16. Q1941-42
  17. R1942-43
  18. S1943-44
  19. T1944-45
  20. U1945-46
  21. V1946-47
  22. W1947-48
  23. X1948-49
  24. Y1949-50
  25. Z1950-51

1951 to 1962

Roman capitals · shield with cut corners

No I; J for 1959-60. Office closed 24 August 1962.

  1. A1951-52
  2. B1952-53
  3. C1953-54
  4. D1954-55
  5. E1955-56
  6. F1956-57
  7. G1957-58
  8. H1958-59
  9. J1959-60
  10. K1960-61
  11. L1961-62
  12. M1962 (1 Jul-24 Aug)

How to read a Chester hallmark

  • City armsThe Chester town mark: three wheatsheaves and a sword. Earlier marks show the arms of Chester differently; the cycle notes below say which.
  • Date letterOne letter for each assay year (change day at Chester: July (5 August 1839-1889, then 1 July); office closed 24 August 1962). Its case, letter style and shield all matter.
  • Maker's markThe initials of the maker or sponsor.

Marks recorded on Chester silver

  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1701, from Jackson (1921)1701Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1707, from Jackson (1921)1707Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1716-7, from Jackson (1921)1716-7Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1778-9, from Jackson (1921)1778-9Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1784-6, from Jackson (1921)1784-6Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1787-8, from Jackson (1921)1787-8Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1790, from Jackson (1921)1790Recorded on Chester silver
  • A mark recorded on Chester silver of 1794, from Jackson (1921)1794Recorded on Chester 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.

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