A SMaker name
Identification guide
Silver date letters
In silver date letters, london’s leopard head, Birmingham’s anchor, Sheffield’s rose or earlier crown and Edinburgh’s castle identify the office.
Choose the office before the year
London’s leopard head, Birmingham’s anchor, Sheffield’s rose or earlier crown and Edinburgh’s castle identify the office. Before 1975 their year sequences differ. Since 1975 these four UK offices share letters changing on 1 January.
Shared UK date-letter examples
| Letter | Year |
|---|---|
| A | 1975 |
| Z | 1999 |
| a | 2000 |
| z | 2024 |
| A | 2025 |
What to check next
Uppercase A is 1975 in one modern cycle and 2025 in the next; lowercase a is 2000. Match the shield and typeface as well as case. UK date letters became optional in 1999, so an otherwise complete modern hallmark can omit one.
Related marks
12 marksE CMaker name
Berker Brothers LtdMaker name
Undated
Berker Brothers Ltd
Seen on objects dated 1947–1960.
silver
Also seen on a finger ring without date letter so dating to c2000 or after
G DMaker name
G MMaker name
Undated
G M
Seen on objects dated 1735.
silver
A fake or pseudo mark seen with a purported 1735 date letter
William FawderyMaker name
Undated
William Fawdery
Seen on objects dated c1696.
silver
This may be the same mark as William Fawdery's 1720 mark, but not enough can be seen to be sure and there was no obvious guild mark or date letter associated with the mark. Dating evidence is an inscription reading 1699.
N TMaker name
Chapman GoldMaker name
D O MMaker name
Hockley MintMaker name
Undated
Hockley Mint
Seen on objects dated c2010.
silver
Warstone Lane, Birmingham Web site No date letter in hallmark
Undated
Sheffield 1824 hallmark (double date letter)
Source captions a Sheffield 1824 hallmark, including a version with a double date letter; mark entered in 1815.
G DMaker name