London hallmark date letter “A”: which year?

The letter A on a London hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1776–1777 (lowercase roman); 1796–1797 (uppercase roman); 1816–1817 (lowercase roman); 1836–1837 (uppercase gothic); 1856–1857 (lowercase gothic); 1876–1877 (uppercase roman); 1896–1897 (lowercase roman); 1916–1917 (lowercase gothic); 1936–1937 (uppercase sans-serif); 1956–1957 (lowercase cursive); 1975 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2000 (lowercase roman, unified cycle); 2025 (uppercase roman, unified cycle).

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

Candidates for A at London

Years	Letter style	Cycle	Note
1776–1777	lowercase roman	London cycle
1796–1797	uppercase roman	London cycle
1816–1817	lowercase roman	London cycle
1836–1837	uppercase gothic	London cycle
1856–1857	lowercase gothic	London cycle
1876–1877	uppercase roman	London cycle
1896–1897	lowercase roman	London cycle
1916–1917	lowercase gothic	London cycle
1936–1937	uppercase sans-serif	London cycle
1956–1957	lowercase cursive	London cycle	Short cycle: the t of 1974 ends on 31-12-1974.
1975	uppercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2000	lowercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2025	uppercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975	Current cycle (2025 A, 2026 B).

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 A at other offices: Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All London cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter A on a London hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1776–1777 (lowercase roman); 1796–1797 (uppercase roman); 1816–1817 (lowercase roman); 1836–1837 (uppercase gothic); 1856–1857 (lowercase gothic); 1876–1877 (uppercase roman); 1896–1897 (lowercase roman); 1916–1917 (lowercase gothic); 1936–1937 (uppercase sans-serif); 1956–1957 (lowercase cursive); 1975 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2000 (lowercase roman, unified cycle); 2025 (uppercase roman, unified cycle).

Sources

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