Edinburgh hallmark date letter “U”: which year?
Short answer
The letter U on a Edinburgh hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1826–1827 (lowercase roman); 1851–1852 (uppercase gothic); 1876–1877 (uppercase sans-serif); 1925–1926 (uppercase roman); 1950–1951 (uppercase cursive); 1994 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2019 (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 U at Edinburgh
| Years | Letter style | Cycle | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1826–1827 | lowercase roman | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1851–1852 | uppercase gothic | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1876–1877 | uppercase sans-serif | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1925–1926 | uppercase roman | Edinburgh cycle | |
| 1950–1951 | uppercase cursive | Edinburgh 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, Birmingham, Sheffield, Chester, Glasgow.
Frequently asked
What year is the letter U on a Edinburgh hallmark?
It depends on the shape of the letter: 1826–1827 (lowercase roman); 1851–1852 (uppercase gothic); 1876–1877 (uppercase sans-serif); 1925–1926 (uppercase roman); 1950–1951 (uppercase cursive); 1994 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2019 (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.