Edinburgh hallmark date letter “T”: which year?
Short answer
The letter T on a Edinburgh hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1825–1826 (lowercase roman); 1850–1851 (uppercase gothic); 1875–1876 (uppercase sans-serif); 1900–1901 (lowercase gothic); 1924–1925 (uppercase roman); 1949–1950 (uppercase cursive); 1993 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2018 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).
Before 1975 the letter changes in September, so most letters span two calendar years. Compare the case and typeface with the table; the letter alone does not settle it.
Candidates for T at Edinburgh
| Years | Letter style | Cycle | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1825–1826 | lowercase roman | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1850–1851 | uppercase gothic | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1875–1876 | uppercase sans-serif | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1900–1901 | lowercase gothic | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1924–1925 | uppercase roman | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1949–1950 | uppercase cursive | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1993 | uppercase roman | All UK offices, from 1975 | |
| 2018 | 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 T at other offices: London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Chester, Glasgow.
Frequently asked
What year is the letter T on a Edinburgh hallmark?
It depends on the shape of the letter: 1825–1826 (lowercase roman); 1850–1851 (uppercase gothic); 1875–1876 (uppercase sans-serif); 1900–1901 (lowercase gothic); 1924–1925 (uppercase roman); 1949–1950 (uppercase cursive); 1993 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2018 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).
Sources
- Silver Makers' Marks, date-letter tables by assay office
- The Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office, History of hallmarking
- Assay Office Birmingham, timeline
- Sheffield Assay Office, history
All sources are listed with the method on the sources page.