London hallmark date letter “B”: which year?

The letter B on a London hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1777–1778 (lowercase roman); 1797–1798 (uppercase roman); 1817–1818 (lowercase roman); 1837–1838 (uppercase gothic); 1857–1858 (lowercase gothic); 1877–1878 (uppercase roman); 1897–1898 (lowercase roman); 1917–1918 (lowercase gothic); 1937–1938 (uppercase sans-serif); 1957–1958 (lowercase cursive); 1976 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2001 (lowercase roman, unified cycle); 2026 (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 B at London

Years	Letter style	Cycle	Note
1777–1778	lowercase roman	London cycle
1797–1798	uppercase roman	London cycle
1817–1818	lowercase roman	London cycle
1837–1838	uppercase gothic	London cycle
1857–1858	lowercase gothic	London cycle
1877–1878	uppercase roman	London cycle
1897–1898	lowercase roman	London cycle
1917–1918	lowercase gothic	London cycle
1937–1938	uppercase sans-serif	London cycle
1957–1958	lowercase cursive	London cycle	Short cycle: the t of 1974 ends on 31-12-1974.
1976	uppercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2001	lowercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2026	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 B at other offices: Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All London cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter B on a London hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1777–1778 (lowercase roman); 1797–1798 (uppercase roman); 1817–1818 (lowercase roman); 1837–1838 (uppercase gothic); 1857–1858 (lowercase gothic); 1877–1878 (uppercase roman); 1897–1898 (lowercase roman); 1917–1918 (lowercase gothic); 1937–1938 (uppercase sans-serif); 1957–1958 (lowercase cursive); 1976 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2001 (lowercase roman, unified cycle); 2026 (uppercase roman, unified cycle).

Sources

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