Sheffield hallmark date letter “B”: which year?

The letter B on a Sheffield hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1805–1806 (uppercase roman); 1825–1826 (lowercase roman); 1845–1846 (uppercase roman); 1869–1870 (uppercase sans-serif); 1894–1895 (lowercase gothic); 1919–1920 (lowercase roman); 1944–1945 (uppercase roman); 1969–1970 (uppercase cursive); 1976 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2001 (lowercase roman, unified cycle); 2026 (uppercase roman, unified cycle).

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 B at Sheffield

Years	Letter style	Cycle	Note
1805–1806	uppercase roman	Sheffield cycle	Arbitrary order.
1825–1826	lowercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1845–1846	uppercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1869–1870	uppercase sans-serif	Sheffield cycle
1894–1895	lowercase gothic	Sheffield cycle
1919–1920	lowercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1944–1945	uppercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1969–1970	uppercase cursive	Sheffield cycle	Cut short by the 1973 Act.
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: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All Sheffield cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter B on a Sheffield hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1805–1806 (uppercase roman); 1825–1826 (lowercase roman); 1845–1846 (uppercase roman); 1869–1870 (uppercase sans-serif); 1894–1895 (lowercase gothic); 1919–1920 (lowercase roman); 1944–1945 (uppercase roman); 1969–1970 (uppercase 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.