Birmingham hallmark date letter “W”: which year?

The letter W on a Birmingham hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1794–1795 (uppercase roman); 1820–1821 (lowercase roman); 1845–1846 (uppercase gothic); 1871–1872 (uppercase roman); 1896–1897 (lowercase gothic); 1921–1922 (lowercase roman); 1946–1947 (uppercase roman); 1971–1972 (uppercase cursive); 1996 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2021 (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 W at Birmingham

Years	Letter style	Cycle
1794–1795	uppercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1820–1821	lowercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1845–1846	uppercase gothic	Birmingham cycle
1871–1872	uppercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1896–1897	lowercase gothic	Birmingham cycle
1921–1922	lowercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1946–1947	uppercase roman	Birmingham cycle
1971–1972	uppercase cursive	Birmingham cycle
1996	uppercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2021	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 W at other offices: London, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All Birmingham cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter W on a Birmingham hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1794–1795 (uppercase roman); 1820–1821 (lowercase roman); 1845–1846 (uppercase gothic); 1871–1872 (uppercase roman); 1896–1897 (lowercase gothic); 1921–1922 (lowercase roman); 1946–1947 (uppercase roman); 1971–1972 (uppercase cursive); 1996 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2021 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).

Sources

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