London hallmark date letter “U”: which year?

The letter U on a London hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1795–1796 (lowercase roman); 1815–1816 (uppercase roman); 1835–1836 (lowercase roman); 1855–1856 (uppercase gothic); 1875–1876 (lowercase gothic); 1895–1896 (uppercase roman); 1915–1916 (lowercase roman); 1935–1936 (lowercase gothic); 1955–1956 (uppercase sans-serif); 1994 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2019 (lowercase 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 U at London

Years	Letter style	Cycle
1795–1796	lowercase roman	London cycle
1815–1816	uppercase roman	London cycle
1835–1836	lowercase roman	London cycle
1855–1856	uppercase gothic	London cycle
1875–1876	lowercase gothic	London cycle
1895–1896	uppercase roman	London cycle
1915–1916	lowercase roman	London cycle
1935–1936	lowercase gothic	London cycle
1955–1956	uppercase sans-serif	London 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: Birmingham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All London cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter U on a London hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1795–1796 (lowercase roman); 1815–1816 (uppercase roman); 1835–1836 (lowercase roman); 1855–1856 (uppercase gothic); 1875–1876 (lowercase gothic); 1895–1896 (uppercase roman); 1915–1916 (lowercase roman); 1935–1936 (lowercase gothic); 1955–1956 (uppercase sans-serif); 1994 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2019 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).

Sources

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