Dublin Date Letters

Dublin date letters from 1720 to 1916. 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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Dublin hallmarks on a 1972 Royal Irish Silver stirrup cup: sponsor's mark, Hibernia, the crowned harp and the date letter
Dublin hallmarks on a 1972 Royal Irish Silver stirrup cup: sponsor's mark, Hibernia, the crowned harp and the date letter. Photographed by us.

1720 to 1746

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield with engrailed top

Old English capitals. L used 1730-32, W 1741-43; no letter recorded for 1744-45. Hibernia mark added 1730. The 1728-29 letter is an Old English I (filed as J by some tables).

  1. A1720-21
  2. B1721-22
  3. C1722-23
  4. D1723-24
  5. E1724-25
  6. F1725-26
  7. G1726-27
  8. H1727-28
  9. I1728-29
  10. K1729-30
  11. L1730-32
  12. M1732-33
  13. N1733-34
  14. O1734-35
  15. P1735-36
  16. Q1736-37
  17. R1737-38
  18. S1738-39
  19. T1739-40
  20. U1740-41
  21. W1741-43
  22. X1743-44
  23. Y1745
  24. Z1746

1747 to 1772

Roman capitals · shield

No J or V. No letter recorded for 1755-56.

  1. A1747
  2. B1748
  3. C1749
  4. D1750
  5. E1751-52
  6. F1752-53
  7. G1753-54
  8. H1754-55
  9. I1757
  10. K1758
  11. L1759
  12. M1760
  13. N1761
  14. O1762
  15. P1763
  16. Q1764
  17. R1765
  18. S1766
  19. T1767
  20. U1768
  21. W1769
  22. X1770
  23. Y1771
  24. Z1772

1773 to 1796

Roman capitals · shield

No J or V.

  1. A1773
  2. B1774
  3. C1775
  4. D1776
  5. E1777
  6. F1778
  7. G1779
  8. H1780
  9. I1781
  10. K1782
  11. L1783
  12. M1784
  13. N1785
  14. O1786
  15. P1787
  16. Q1788
  17. R1789
  18. S1790
  19. T1791
  20. U1792
  21. W1793
  22. X1794
  23. Y1795
  24. Z1796

1797 to 1820

Roman capitals · shield

No J or V. Sovereign's head duty mark from 1807.

  1. A1797
  2. B1798
  3. C1799
  4. D1800
  5. E1801
  6. F1802
  7. G1803
  8. H1804
  9. I1805
  10. K1806
  11. L1807
  12. M1808
  13. N1809
  14. O1810
  15. P1811
  16. Q1812
  17. R1813
  18. S1814
  19. T1815
  20. U1816
  21. W1817
  22. X1818
  23. Y1819
  24. Z1820

1821 to 1846

Roman capitals · shield/oval, varies

No J; V used (1841-42). From 1825-26 letters run mid-year to mid-year (to June 1846).

  1. A1821
  2. B1822
  3. C1823
  4. D1824
  5. E1825-26
  6. F1826-27
  7. G1827-28
  8. H1828-29
  9. I1829-30
  10. K1830-31
  11. L1831-32
  12. M1832-33
  13. N1833-34
  14. O1834-35
  15. P1835-36
  16. Q1836-37
  17. R1837-38
  18. S1838-39
  19. T1839-40
  20. U1840-41
  21. V1841-42
  22. W1842-43
  23. X1843-44
  24. Y1844-45
  25. Z1845-46

1846 to 1871

Roman small letters · shield

Small letters except Q (1861-62) and Y (1869-70), which are capitals. i omitted, j used for 1854-55.

  1. a1846-47
  2. b1847-48
  3. c1848-49
  4. d1849-50
  5. e1850-51
  6. f1851-52
  7. g1852-53
  8. h1853-54
  9. j1854-55
  10. k1855-56
  11. l1856-57
  12. m1857-58
  13. n1858-59
  14. o1859-60
  15. p1860-61
  16. Q1861-62
  17. r1862-63
  18. s1863-64
  19. t1864-65
  20. u1865-66
  21. v1866-67
  22. w1867-68
  23. x1868-69
  24. Y1869-70
  25. z1870-71

1871 to 1896

Roman capitals · shield

Plain block capitals, no J. Duty mark ends 1890.

  1. A1871-72
  2. B1872-73
  3. C1873-74
  4. D1874-75
  5. E1875-76
  6. F1876-77
  7. G1877-78
  8. H1878-79
  9. I1879-80
  10. K1880-81
  11. L1881-82
  12. M1882-83
  13. N1883-84
  14. O1884-85
  15. P1885-86
  16. Q1886-87
  17. R1887-88
  18. S1888-89
  19. T1889-90
  20. U1890-91
  21. V1891-92
  22. W1892-93
  23. X1893-94
  24. Y1894-95
  25. Z1895-96

1896 to 1916

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield

Old English capitals A to U.

  1. A1896-97
  2. B1897-98
  3. C1898-99
  4. D1899-1900
  5. E1900-01
  6. F1901-02
  7. G1902-03
  8. H1903-04
  9. I1904-05
  10. K1905-06
  11. L1906-07
  12. M1907-08
  13. N1908-09
  14. O1909-10
  15. P1910-11
  16. Q1911-12
  17. R1912-13
  18. S1913-14
  19. T1914-15
  20. U1915-16

How to read a Dublin hallmark

  • Crowned harpThe Irish standard mark.
  • HiberniaThe figure of Hibernia, introduced in 1731 as a duty mark and later the Dublin town mark.
  • Date letterOne letter for each assay year (change day at Dublin: irregular before 1821; spans as recorded. Changes on 1 January now (assay.ie)). Its case, letter style and shield all matter.
  • Maker's markThe initials of the maker or sponsor.

Marks recorded on Dublin silver

  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1720-37, from Jackson (1921)1720-37Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1725-6, from Jackson (1921)1725-6Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1730, from Jackson (1921)1730Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1730-1, from Jackson (1921)1730-1Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1737-8, from Jackson (1921)1737-8Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1743-4, from Jackson (1921)1743-4Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1750, from Jackson (1921)1750Recorded on Dublin silver
  • A mark recorded on Dublin silver of 1760, from Jackson (1921)1760Recorded on Dublin 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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