Edinburgh Date Letters

Edinburgh date letters from 1705 to 1882. Type the letter on your piece to see every year it could be, then match its shape and shield in the tables.

1705 to 1730

Roman capitals · square/shield punch

No J. M (1716-17), N (1717-18) and P (1719-20) also found double-struck.

  1. A1705-06
  2. B1706-07
  3. C1707-08
  4. D1708-09
  5. E1709-10
  6. F1710-11
  7. G1711-12
  8. H1712-13
  9. I1713-14
  10. K1714-15
  11. L1715-16
  12. M1716-17
  13. N1717-18
  14. O1718-19
  15. P1719-20
  16. Q1720-21
  17. R1721-22
  18. S1722-23
  19. T1723-24
  20. U1724-25
  21. V1725-26
  22. W1726-27
  23. X1727-28
  24. Y1728-29
  25. Z1729-30

1730 to 1755

Script capitals · shield

Script capitals, no J.

  1. A1730-31
  2. B1731-32
  3. C1732-33
  4. D1733-34
  5. E1734-35
  6. F1735-36
  7. G1736-37
  8. H1737-38
  9. I1738-39
  10. K1739-40
  11. L1740-41
  12. M1741-42
  13. N1742-43
  14. O1743-44
  15. P1744-45
  16. Q1745-46
  17. R1746-47
  18. S1747-48
  19. T1748-49
  20. U1749-50
  21. V1750-51
  22. W1751-52
  23. X1752-53
  24. Y1753-54
  25. Z1754-55

1755 to 1780

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield

Old English capitals. No W. The 1763-64 letter is an Old English I (often printed J). 1779-80 uses a second Old English V/U form, distinct from 1775-76.

  1. A1755-56
  2. B1756-57
  3. C1757-58
  4. D1758-59
  5. E1759-60
  6. F1760-61
  7. G1761-62
  8. H1762-63
  9. I1763-64
  10. K1764-65
  11. L1765-66
  12. M1766-67
  13. N1767-68
  14. O1768-69
  15. P1769-70
  16. Q1770-71
  17. R1771-72
  18. S1772-73
  19. T1773-74
  20. U1774-75
  21. V1775-76
  22. X1776-77
  23. Y1777-78
  24. Z1778-79
  25. V1779-80

1780 to 1806

Roman capitals · shield

G used for two years (1786-88). I then J both used in 1789-90.

  1. A1780-81
  2. B1781-82
  3. C1782-83
  4. D1783-84
  5. E1784-85
  6. F1785-86
  7. G1786-88
  8. H1788-89
  9. I1789-90 (first part)
  10. J1789-90 (to Sept 1790)
  11. K1790-91
  12. L1791-92
  13. M1792-93
  14. N1793-94
  15. O1794-95
  16. P1795-96
  17. Q1796-97
  18. R1797-98
  19. S1798-99
  20. T1799-1800
  21. U1800-01
  22. V1801-02
  23. W1802-03
  24. X1803-04
  25. Y1804-05
  26. Z1805-06

1806 to 1832

Roman small letters · shield

Full 26 letters (i 1814-15, j 1815-16).

  1. a1806-07
  2. b1807-08
  3. c1808-09
  4. d1809-10
  5. e1810-11
  6. f1811-12
  7. g1812-13
  8. h1813-14
  9. i1814-15
  10. j1815-16
  11. k1816-17
  12. l1817-18
  13. m1818-19
  14. n1819-20
  15. o1820-21
  16. p1821-22
  17. q1822-23
  18. r1823-24
  19. s1824-25
  20. t1825-26
  21. u1826-27
  22. v1827-28
  23. w1828-29
  24. x1829-30
  25. y1830-31
  26. z1831-32

1832 to 1857

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield

Old English capitals; J (not I) for 1840-41.

  1. A1832-33
  2. B1833-34
  3. C1834-35
  4. D1835-36
  5. E1836-37
  6. F1837-38
  7. G1838-39
  8. H1839-40
  9. J1840-41
  10. K1841-42
  11. L1842-43
  12. M1843-44
  13. N1844-45
  14. O1845-46
  15. P1846-47
  16. Q1847-48
  17. R1848-49
  18. S1849-50
  19. T1850-51
  20. U1851-52
  21. V1852-53
  22. W1853-54
  23. X1854-55
  24. Y1855-56
  25. Z1856-57

1857 to 1882

Roman capitals · oval/shield

No J.

  1. A1857-58
  2. B1858-59
  3. C1859-60
  4. D1860-61
  5. E1861-62
  6. F1862-63
  7. G1863-64
  8. H1864-65
  9. I1865-66
  10. K1866-67
  11. L1867-68
  12. M1868-69
  13. N1869-70
  14. O1870-71
  15. P1871-72
  16. Q1872-73
  17. R1873-74
  18. S1874-75
  19. T1875-76
  20. U1876-77
  21. V1877-78
  22. W1878-79
  23. X1879-80
  24. Y1880-81
  25. Z1881-82

How to read a Edinburgh hallmark

  • CastleThe Edinburgh town mark: a three-towered castle.
  • ThistleThe standard mark from 1759, replaced by the lion rampant in 1975.
  • Date letterOne letter for each assay year (change day at Edinburgh: Michaelmas (September/October) until 1974). Its case, letter style and shield all matter.
  • Maker's markThe initials of the maker or sponsor.

Marks recorded on Edinburgh silver

  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1705, from Jackson (1921)1705Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1709-10, from Jackson (1921)1709-10Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1742, from Jackson (1921)1742Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1758-65, from Jackson (1921)1758-65Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1764, from Jackson (1921)1764Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1776, from Jackson (1921)1776Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1777-90, from Jackson (1921)1777-90Recorded on Edinburgh silver
  • A mark recorded on Edinburgh silver of 1785-95, from Jackson (1921)1785-95Recorded on Edinburgh 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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