Sheffield hallmark date letter “E”: which year?

The letter E on a Sheffield hallmark can be any of these years, depending on its case and typeface: 1799–1800 (uppercase roman); 1828–1829 (lowercase roman); 1848–1849 (uppercase roman); 1872–1873 (uppercase sans-serif); 1897–1898 (lowercase gothic); 1922–1923 (lowercase roman); 1947–1948 (uppercase roman); 1972–1973 (uppercase cursive); 1979 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2004 (lowercase 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 E at Sheffield

Years	Letter style	Cycle	Note
1799–1800	uppercase roman	Sheffield cycle	Arbitrary order.
1828–1829	lowercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1848–1849	uppercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1872–1873	uppercase sans-serif	Sheffield cycle
1897–1898	lowercase gothic	Sheffield cycle
1922–1923	lowercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1947–1948	uppercase roman	Sheffield cycle
1972–1973	uppercase cursive	Sheffield cycle	Cut short by the 1973 Act.
1979	uppercase roman	All UK offices, from 1975
2004	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 E at other offices: London, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Chester, Glasgow.

All Sheffield cycles

Frequently asked

What year is the letter E on a Sheffield hallmark?

It depends on the shape of the letter: 1799–1800 (uppercase roman); 1828–1829 (lowercase roman); 1848–1849 (uppercase roman); 1872–1873 (uppercase sans-serif); 1897–1898 (lowercase gothic); 1922–1923 (lowercase roman); 1947–1948 (uppercase roman); 1972–1973 (uppercase cursive); 1979 (uppercase roman, unified cycle); 2004 (lowercase roman, unified cycle).

Sources

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