The basic system
Each UK assay office stamps a single letter on items it tests; the letter changes every year. Each cycle drops look-alike letters (the 2000 cycle skipped i and used j in 2008), and at the end of each cycle the typeface, the case and the shape of the shield around the letter all change. The combination of letter, font and shield shape, plus the town mark, identifies the exact year. One date is worth memorising: since the Hallmarking Act 1973 took effect in 1975, all the UK offices have changed their date letter together on 1 January. Before 1975 each office ran its own cycle and changed letters at its own point in the year, London traditionally in May, which is why pre-1975 pieces need an office-specific chart rather than a single national one. For the reasoning behind each step, a worked example of reading a date letter goes through a real mark from start to finish.
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UK hallmark date letter chart, 2000 to 2026
Since 1975 one letter has been shared by all four offices, so for a piece marked from 2000 onwards this chart gives the year directly, whichever town mark sits beside it. Letters in the 2000 cycle are lower case; the cycle that began in 2025 uses serif capitals. Sheffield Assay Office confirms the shared letter, the 1 January change and the 25-year cycles (assayoffice.co.uk). The years below are worked from Birmingham Assay Office’s published facts: a in 2000, i skipped in favour of j in 2008, l used in 2010, and z in 2024 followed by A in 2025 (theassayoffice.co.uk).
| Year | Date letter |
|---|---|
| 2000 | a |
| 2001 | b |
| 2002 | c |
| 2003 | d |
| 2004 | e |
| 2005 | f |
| 2006 | g |
| 2007 | h |
| 2008 | j (i skipped) |
| 2009 | k |
| 2010 | l |
| 2011 | m |
| 2012 | n |
| 2013 | o |
| 2014 | p |
| 2015 | q |
| 2016 | r |
| 2017 | s |
| 2018 | t |
| 2019 | u |
| 2020 | v |
| 2021 | w |
| 2022 | x |
| 2023 | y |
| 2024 | z |
| 2025 | A (serif capital, new cycle) |
| 2026 | B (serif capital) |
Pieces from 1975 to 1999 also carry a shared letter, in a different typeface and shield. They are not listed here because that cycle has not been checked against a primary source for this page. The date letter has been voluntary since 1999, so a modern piece with no letter is not a problem.
Why the date letter is read with the town mark
Before 1975 the assay offices used different cycle starts and different typefaces, so a lower-case "a" in a shaped shield beside a Birmingham anchor refers to a different year from the same letter beside a London leopard. Before 1975 there was no single nationwide chart that resolves the year from the letter alone, so the letter, the office and the shield are read together. The town mark can narrow the era on its own: a crowned London leopard’s head was struck from 1478 until the crown was dropped in 1822, as the Goldsmiths’ Company history of hallmarking records.
How to use it in practice
- Identify the office. Find the anchor (Birmingham), leopard (London), castle (Edinburgh) or rose (Sheffield) punch. That is your town mark.
- Read the date letter. Look for a single letter in a shaped frame near the standard mark.
- Cross-reference the right chart. From 2000 onwards, use the chart above. Before 1975, use that office’s own records: Birmingham Assay Office runs a date letter archive, and Assay Office London offers a trace-a-hallmark service. The same letter in different cycles means different years.
- Confirm with the font. Where the office changed font between cycles, the font of the letter resolves which cycle the piece is from.
From 1999 onwards: optional date letter
From 1999 the date letter became optional. The compulsory marks today are the sponsor’s mark, the numeric standard mark and the town mark, with the date letter added on request. Special commemorative marks also appear on modern pieces: a millennium mark on items assayed in 1999 and 2000, Jubilee marks for 2002, 2012 and 2022, and a coronation mark for 2023. Any of these pins the piece to a year or two on its own. No chart needed.
When dating matters
A date letter does not move a scrap offer. Gold and silver are priced by carat and weight, and the year of assay does not come into it. On antique or named-maker pieces it is a different matter: a firm year can confirm which silversmith made the piece, and that often puts it well above the value of the metal. So if yours looks early, or carries initials you cannot place, send a photo and let us look at it as an antique first. If it is worth its metal and no more, the piece is tested for purity by XRF and weighed, and the offer follows those figures.
Common questions
What is the hallmark date letter for 2026?
B, a serif capital. A new 25-year cycle began with A on 1 January 2025, and all four UK assay offices use the same letter.
Can I work out the year of my piece from just the date letter?
From 1975 onwards, the letter with its typeface and shield is enough, because all four offices share it. Before 1975 you also need the town mark, because each office ran its own cycle.
Where do I find the official UK date letter charts?
For 2000 to 2026, use the chart on this page. For older marks, Birmingham Assay Office runs a date letter archive for its own marks, and Assay Office London will look at photographs through its trace-a-hallmark service.
Does an old date letter mean my piece is worth more?
Not by itself. It identifies the year of assay. Combined with a named sponsor’s mark and a town mark, an early date can identify a maker whose work sells above scrap.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Speak to us before you post
Please send us photos on WhatsApp, and we will help you. We give a rough estimate where possible and arrange postage with you after our conversation. Your final offer follows inspection.