Birmingham hallmark date letter “U”: which year?

The letter U on a Birmingham hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1792–1793 (uppercase roman); 1818–1819 (lowercase roman); 1843–1844 (uppercase gothic); 1869–1870 (uppercase roman); 1894–1895 (lowercase gothic); 1919–1920 (lowercase roman); 1944–1945 (uppercase roman); 1969–1970 (uppercase cursive); 1994 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2019 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).

Before 1975 the letter changes in July, so most letters span two calendar years. Compare the case and typeface with the table; the letter alone does not settle it.

Candidates for U at Birmingham

Years	Letter style	Cycle
1792–1793	uppercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1818–1819	lowercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1843–1844	uppercase gothic	Birmingham cycle
1869–1870	uppercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1894–1895	lowercase gothic	Birmingham cycle
1919–1920	lowercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1944–1945	uppercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1969–1970	uppercase cursive	Birmingham cycle
1994	uppercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2019	lowercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975

Narrowing it down

Other marks and features on the piece can rule candidates out: see dating jewelry by construction features and the other UK hallmarks.

The letter U at other offices: London, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All Birmingham cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter U on a Birmingham hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1792–1793 (uppercase roman); 1818–1819 (lowercase roman); 1843–1844 (uppercase gothic); 1869–1870 (uppercase roman); 1894–1895 (lowercase gothic); 1919–1920 (lowercase roman); 1944–1945 (uppercase roman); 1969–1970 (uppercase cursive); 1994 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2019 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).

Sources

All sources are listed with the method on the sources page.