London Date Letters

Every London date letter from 1697 to 1974, and the UK letters used since 1975. Type the letter on your silver to see every year it could be, then match its shape and shield in the tables.

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London hallmarks with the date letter S for 1893 on a silver golf ball salt
London hallmarks with the date letter S for 1893 on a silver golf ball salt. Photographed by us.

1697 to 1715

Court-hand small letters · shaped shield with pointed base

Court-hand letters, Britannia standard period. 'a' was used only from 27 March to 29 May 1697, then 'b' for 1697-98.

  1. a1697 (27 Mar-29 May)
  2. b1697-98
  3. c1698-99
  4. d1699-1700
  5. e1700-01
  6. f1701-02
  7. g1702-03
  8. h1703-04
  9. i1704-05
  10. k1705-06
  11. l1706-07
  12. m1707-08
  13. n1708-09
  14. o1709-10
  15. p1710-11
  16. q1711-12
  17. r1712-13
  18. s1713-14
  19. t1714-15
  20. u1715-16

1716 to 1735

Roman capitals · shield with pointed base

No J. 1720-21 'E' found with both Britannia and sterling marks.

  1. A1716-17
  2. B1717-18
  3. C1718-19
  4. D1719-20
  5. E1720-21
  6. F1721-22
  7. G1722-23
  8. H1723-24
  9. I1724-25
  10. K1725-26
  11. L1726-27
  12. M1727-28
  13. N1728-29
  14. O1729-30
  15. P1730-31
  16. Q1731-32
  17. R1732-33
  18. S1733-34
  19. T1734-35
  20. U1735-36

1736 to 1755

Roman small letters · shield with pointed base; from 1739-40 ('d') a shield with notched (indented) sides

No j. Two shield forms for 'd' 1739-40.

  1. a1736-37
  2. b1737-38
  3. c1738-39
  4. d1739-40
  5. e1740-41
  6. f1741-42
  7. g1742-43
  8. h1743-44
  9. i1744-45
  10. k1745-46
  11. l1746-47
  12. m1747-48
  13. n1748-49
  14. o1749-50
  15. p1750-51
  16. q1751-52
  17. r1752-53
  18. s1753-54
  19. t1754-55
  20. u1755-56

1756 to 1775

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield with notched sides and pointed base

Old English capitals, no J.

  1. A1756-57
  2. B1757-58
  3. C1758-59
  4. D1759-60
  5. E1760-61
  6. F1761-62
  7. G1762-63
  8. H1763-64
  9. I1764-65
  10. K1765-66
  11. L1766-67
  12. M1767-68
  13. N1768-69
  14. O1769-70
  15. P1770-71
  16. Q1771-72
  17. R1772-73
  18. S1773-74
  19. T1774-75
  20. U1775-76

1776 to 1795

Roman small letters · shield with pointed base and indented top corners

Sovereign's head duty mark added from 1 Dec 1784.

  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

1796 to 1815

Roman capitals · shield with clipped top corners and pointed base

  1. A1796-97
  2. B1797-98
  3. C1798-99
  4. D1799-1800
  5. E1800-01
  6. F1801-02
  7. G1802-03
  8. H1803-04
  9. I1804-05
  10. K1805-06
  11. L1806-07
  12. M1807-08
  13. N1808-09
  14. O1809-10
  15. P1810-11
  16. Q1811-12
  17. R1812-13
  18. S1813-14
  19. T1814-15
  20. U1815-16

1816 to 1835

Roman small letters · shield with clipped top corners and pointed base

  1. a1816-17
  2. b1817-18
  3. c1818-19
  4. d1819-20
  5. e1820-21
  6. f1821-22
  7. g1822-23
  8. h1823-24
  9. i1824-25
  10. k1825-26
  11. l1826-27
  12. m1827-28
  13. n1828-29
  14. o1829-30
  15. p1830-31
  16. q1831-32
  17. r1832-33
  18. s1833-34
  19. t1834-35
  20. u1835-36

1836 to 1855

Old English (black-letter) capitals · shield with pointed base

Old English capitals.

  1. A1836-37
  2. B1837-38
  3. C1838-39
  4. D1839-40
  5. E1840-41
  6. F1841-42
  7. G1842-43
  8. H1843-44
  9. I1844-45
  10. K1845-46
  11. L1846-47
  12. M1847-48
  13. N1848-49
  14. O1849-50
  15. P1850-51
  16. Q1851-52
  17. R1852-53
  18. S1853-54
  19. T1854-55
  20. U1855-56

1856 to 1875

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

Old English small letters.

  1. a1856-57
  2. b1857-58
  3. c1858-59
  4. d1859-60
  5. e1860-61
  6. f1861-62
  7. g1862-63
  8. h1863-64
  9. i1864-65
  10. k1865-66
  11. l1866-67
  12. m1867-68
  13. n1868-69
  14. o1869-70
  15. p1870-71
  16. q1871-72
  17. r1872-73
  18. s1873-74
  19. t1874-75
  20. u1875-76

1876 to 1895

Roman capitals · shield with rounded/pointed base

Duty mark discontinued 1890.

  1. A1876-77
  2. B1877-78
  3. C1878-79
  4. D1879-80
  5. E1880-81
  6. F1881-82
  7. G1882-83
  8. H1883-84
  9. I1884-85
  10. K1885-86
  11. L1886-87
  12. M1887-88
  13. N1888-89
  14. O1889-90
  15. P1890-91
  16. Q1891-92
  17. R1892-93
  18. S1893-94
  19. T1894-95
  20. U1895-96

1896 to 1915

Roman small letters · shield with indented top corners and rounded base

  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

1916 to 1935

Old English (black-letter) small letters · shield with cut top corners and pointed base

Black-letter small letters.

  1. a1916-17
  2. b1917-18
  3. c1918-19
  4. d1919-20
  5. e1920-21
  6. f1921-22
  7. g1922-23
  8. h1923-24
  9. i1924-25
  10. k1925-26
  11. l1926-27
  12. m1927-28
  13. n1928-29
  14. o1929-30
  15. p1930-31
  16. q1931-32
  17. r1932-33
  18. s1933-34
  19. t1934-35
  20. u1935-36

1936 to 1955

Plain capitals · square shield with cut corners

Plain (sans-serif style) capitals.

  1. A1936-37
  2. B1937-38
  3. C1938-39
  4. D1939-40
  5. E1940-41
  6. F1941-42
  7. G1942-43
  8. H1943-44
  9. I1944-45
  10. K1945-46
  11. L1946-47
  12. M1947-48
  13. N1948-49
  14. O1949-50
  15. P1950-51
  16. Q1951-52
  17. R1952-53
  18. S1953-54
  19. T1954-55
  20. U1955-56

1956 to 1974

Italic small letters · square with clipped corners

Last London-only cycle; 't' ran until the unified UK letter 'A' began on 1 January 1975.

  1. a1956-57
  2. b1957-58
  3. c1958-59
  4. d1959-60
  5. e1960-61
  6. f1961-62
  7. g1962-63
  8. h1963-64
  9. i1964-65
  10. k1965-66
  11. l1966-67
  12. m1967-68
  13. n1968-69
  14. o1969-70
  15. p1970-71
  16. q1971-72
  17. r1972-73
  18. s1973-74
  19. t1974 (30 May-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 London hallmark

  • Leopard's headThe London town mark. It wears a crown until 1821 and is uncrowned after that.
  • Lion passantThe sterling silver mark. From 1697 to 1720 London used the Britannia figure and a lion's head erased for the higher Britannia standard.
  • Date letterOne letter for each assay year. The letter changed on 29 or 30 May until 1974 and on 1 January from 1975. Its case, letter style and shield all matter.
  • Maker's markThe initials of the maker or sponsor, registered at Goldsmiths' Hall.
  • Duty markThe sovereign's head, struck from 1 December 1784 to 1890 to show the duty had been paid.
Asprey sponsor's mark with London hallmarks for 1939 inside a silver-gilt compact
Asprey sponsor's mark with London hallmarks for 1939 inside a silver-gilt compact. Photographed by us.

Notable London makers

  • Paul de Lamerie maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Paul de LamerieMark recorded on London silver of 1723-24
  • Paul Crespin maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Paul CrespinMark recorded on London silver of 1720-21
  • Augustine Courtauld maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Augustine CourtauldMark recorded on London silver of 1723-24
  • Nicholas Sprimont maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Nicholas SprimontMark recorded on London silver of 1744-45
  • Hester Bateman maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Hester BatemanMark recorded on London silver of 1778-79
  • John Schofield maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)John SchofieldMark recorded on London silver of 1783-84
  • Paul Storr maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Paul StorrMark recorded on London silver of 1831-32
  • Philip Rundell maker's mark, London, from Jackson (1921)Philip RundellMark recorded on London silver of 1819-20

Makers' marks reproduced from Jackson, English Goldsmiths and their Marks (1921). Date letters checked against Jackson and the assay office records.

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