Glasgow hallmark date letter “J”: which year?

The letter J on a Glasgow hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1828–1829 (uppercase roman); 1854–1855 (uppercase gothic); 1880–1881 (uppercase sans-serif); 1906–1907 (uppercase cursive); 1932–1933 (lowercase roman); 1957–1958 (uppercase gothic).

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 J at Glasgow

Years	Letter style	Cycle	Note
1828–1829	uppercase roman	Glasgow cycle
1854–1855	uppercase gothic	Glasgow cycle
1880–1881	uppercase sans-serif	Glasgow cycle
1906–1907	uppercase cursive	Glasgow cycle
1932–1933	lowercase roman	Glasgow cycle
1957–1958	uppercase gothic	Glasgow cycle	The office closed on 31-3-1964.

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 J at other offices: London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Chester.

All Glasgow cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter J on a Glasgow hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1828–1829 (uppercase roman); 1854–1855 (uppercase gothic); 1880–1881 (uppercase sans-serif); 1906–1907 (uppercase cursive); 1932–1933 (lowercase roman); 1957–1958 (uppercase gothic).

Sources

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