Exeter Date Letters

Exeter date letters from 1701 to 1883, 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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1701 to 1725

Roman capitals · shield

No J or U.

  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. V1720-21
  21. W1721-22
  22. X1722-23
  23. Y1723-24
  24. Z1724-25

1725 to 1749

Roman small letters · shield

Small letters (some italic forms), no j or v.

  1. a1725-26
  2. b1726-27
  3. c1727-28
  4. d1728-29
  5. e1729-30
  6. f1730-31
  7. g1731-32
  8. h1732-33
  9. i1733-34
  10. k1734-35
  11. l1735-36
  12. m1736-37
  13. n1737-38
  14. o1738-39
  15. p1739-40
  16. q1740-41
  17. r1741-42
  18. s1742-43
  19. t1743-44
  20. u1744-45
  21. w1745-46
  22. x1746-47
  23. y1747-48
  24. z1748-49

1749 to 1773

Roman capitals · shield

No J or V.

  1. A1749-50
  2. B1750-51
  3. C1751-52
  4. D1752-53
  5. E1753-54
  6. F1754-55
  7. G1755-56
  8. H1756-57
  9. I1757-58
  10. K1758-59
  11. L1759-60
  12. M1760-61
  13. N1761-62
  14. O1762-63
  15. P1763-64
  16. Q1764-65
  17. R1765-66
  18. S1766-67
  19. T1767-68
  20. U1768-69
  21. W1769-70
  22. X1770-71
  23. Y1771-72
  24. Z1772-73

1773 to 1797

Roman capitals · shield

Mixed: capitals A to P, then small q r s t u w, capital X, small y. I used for two years (1781-83). Leopard's head dropped after 1777.

  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. I1781-83
  10. K1783-84
  11. L1784-85
  12. M1785-86
  13. N1786-87
  14. O1787-88
  15. P1788-89
  16. q1789-90
  17. r1790-91
  18. s1791-92
  19. t1792-93
  20. u1793-94
  21. w1794-95
  22. X1795-96
  23. y1796-97

1797 to 1817

Roman capitals · shield

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

1817 to 1837

Roman small letters · shield

No j.

  1. a1817-18
  2. b1818-19
  3. c1819-20
  4. d1820-21
  5. e1821-22
  6. f1822-23
  7. g1823-24
  8. h1824-25
  9. i1825-26
  10. k1826-27
  11. l1827-28
  12. m1828-29
  13. n1829-30
  14. o1830-31
  15. p1831-32
  16. q1832-33
  17. r1833-34
  18. s1834-35
  19. t1835-36
  20. u1836-37

1837 to 1857

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield

Old English capitals.

  1. A1837-38
  2. B1838-39
  3. C1839-40
  4. D1840-41
  5. E1841-42
  6. F1842-43
  7. G1843-44
  8. H1844-45
  9. I1845-46
  10. K1846-47
  11. L1847-48
  12. M1848-49
  13. N1849-50
  14. O1850-51
  15. P1851-52
  16. Q1852-53
  17. R1853-54
  18. S1854-55
  19. T1855-56
  20. U1856-57

1857 to 1877

Roman capitals · shield

  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

1877 to 1883

Roman capitals · shield with cut corners

Office closed 1883.

  1. A1877-78
  2. B1878-79
  3. C1879-80
  4. D1880-81
  5. E1881-82
  6. F1882-83

How to read a Exeter hallmark

  • CastleThe Exeter town mark: a castle with three towers.
  • Date letterOne letter for each assay year (change day at Exeter: August each year; office closed 1883). Its case, letter style and shield all matter.
  • Maker's markThe initials of the maker or sponsor.

Marks recorded on Exeter silver

  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1701-2, from Jackson (1921)1701-2Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1706, from Jackson (1921)1706Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1709, from Jackson (1921)1709Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1713-4, from Jackson (1921)1713-4Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1726-7, from Jackson (1921)1726-7Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1734-5, from Jackson (1921)1734-5Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1743-4, from Jackson (1921)1743-4Recorded on Exeter silver
  • A mark recorded on Exeter silver of 1828-9, from Jackson (1921)1828-9Recorded on Exeter 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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