What is the Birmingham silver hallmark?

The Birmingham town mark is the Anchor. An upright anchor, sometimes with a coiled rope. Unchanged since 1773. The Birmingham Assay Office has been operating since 1773 and is still active today.

How do I find the year a Birmingham silver piece was made?

Identify the date letter on your piece — a single letter inside a shaped shield. The combination of the letter, its case (upper or lower), the font, and the shield shape identifies a specific year within a specific cycle. This page lists every Birmingham cycle from 1773 to the present, with the actual glyph image for every year. Match what's stamped on your piece to the chart on this page.

Where is the Birmingham Assay Office today?

Birmingham Assay Office is still active. Their official website is https://www.theassayoffice.co.uk/.

Are the four UK Assay Offices' date letters the same?

From 1975 onwards, yes — London, Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh share the same date-letter sequence under the Hallmarking Act 1973. Before 1975, each office ran its own independent cycle. So a piece from 1975 onwards uses the same letter regardless of the office; an older piece uses an office-specific letter.

Birmingham Silver Hallmarks

Last verified: 2026-05-06

← Back to the UK Silver Hallmarks Identifier

Anchor

An upright anchor, sometimes with a coiled rope. Unchanged since 1773.

In use since 1773 · Still active · England · 18 cycles, 251 dated letters on this page

History

Birmingham Assay Office was established by the Hallmarking Act of 1773, alongside Sheffield. Local manufacturer Matthew Boulton lobbied Parliament for the office, frustrated at having to send pieces to Chester or London for assay. Legend has it that the anchor town mark was chosen because Boulton and the Sheffield silversmiths met to negotiate at the Crown and Anchor pub on the Strand — Birmingham took the anchor, Sheffield took the crown. Birmingham is now the largest UK Assay Office by volume.

Reading the marks on a Birmingham piece

Birmingham silver carries the Lion Passant for sterling 925 and the anchor town mark. From 1973 the anchor became the office's only mark, accompanying the Lion Passant. Birmingham assays the most reseller-grade Edwardian and Victorian silver of any UK office, partly because its founding date aligns with the Industrial Revolution and the rise of mass-produced silver tableware.

Identifying the date — using the date letter

Birmingham's date-letter cycle runs from 1773. Cycles are typically 25 letters with the font and shield shape changing each cycle. From 1975 Birmingham uses the same date-letter sequence as London, Sheffield and Edinburgh. The Birmingham Assay Office publishes a complete chart on its identification pages.

Faster: the main UK Silver Hallmarks Identifier walks you through standard mark, town mark, cycle, and letter step-by-step and prints the year. Use the chart further down this page if you prefer to scan visually.

Birmingham date letter — pick the letter on your piece

Click the letter stamped on your piece. The chart below shows every year Birmingham used that letter, with the actual glyph image alongside — match the font and shield shape to narrow to one year.

UPPERCASE

lowercase

Pick a letter above to see the years Birmingham used it (251 year-letter pairs across 52 letters).

A uppercase · 6 years

1824

cycle 1824–1828

1849

cycle 1848–1859

1925

cycle 1900–1949

1950

cycle 1950–1974

1975

cycle 1975–1999

2025

cycle 2025–present

B uppercase · 7 years

1774

cycle 1773–1783

1825

cycle 1824–1828

1850

cycle 1848–1859

1926

cycle 1900–1949

1951

cycle 1950–1974

1976

cycle 1975–1999

2026

cycle 2025–present

C uppercase · 7 years

1775

cycle 1773–1783

1826

cycle 1824–1828

1851

cycle 1848–1859

1927

cycle 1900–1949

1952

cycle 1950–1974

1977

cycle 1975–1999

2027

cycle 2025–present

D uppercase · 7 years

1776

cycle 1773–1783

1827

cycle 1824–1828

1852

cycle 1848–1859

1928

cycle 1900–1949

1953

cycle 1950–1974

1978

cycle 1975–1999

2028

cycle 2025–present

E uppercase · 7 years

1777

cycle 1773–1783

1828

cycle 1824–1828

1853

cycle 1848–1859

1929

cycle 1900–1949

1954

cycle 1950–1974

1979

cycle 1975–1999

2029

cycle 2025–present

F uppercase · 7 years

1778

cycle 1773–1783

1829

cycle 1829–1833

1854

cycle 1848–1859

1930

cycle 1900–1949

1955

cycle 1950–1974

1980

cycle 1975–1999

2030

cycle 2025–present

G uppercase · 6 years

1779

cycle 1773–1783

1830

cycle 1829–1833

1855

cycle 1848–1859

1931

cycle 1900–1949

1956

cycle 1950–1974

1981

cycle 1975–1999

H uppercase · 6 years

1780

cycle 1773–1783

1831

cycle 1829–1833

1856

cycle 1848–1859

1932

cycle 1900–1949

1957

cycle 1950–1974

1982

cycle 1975–1999

I uppercase · 5 years

1781

cycle 1773–1783

1832

cycle 1829–1833

1857

cycle 1848–1859

1958

cycle 1950–1974

1983

cycle 1975–1999

J uppercase · 2 years

1858

cycle 1848–1859

1933

cycle 1900–1949

K uppercase · 6 years

1782

cycle 1773–1783

1833

cycle 1829–1833

1859

cycle 1848–1859

1934

cycle 1900–1949

1959

cycle 1950–1974

1984

cycle 1975–1999

L uppercase · 6 years

1783

cycle 1773–1783

1834

cycle 1834–1839

1860

cycle 1860–1862

1935

cycle 1900–1949

1960

cycle 1950–1974

1985

cycle 1975–1999

M uppercase · 6 years

1784

cycle 1773–1783

1835

cycle 1834–1839

1861

cycle 1860–1862

1936

cycle 1900–1949

1961

cycle 1950–1974

1986

cycle 1975–1999

N uppercase · 6 years

1785

cycle 1784–1785

1836

cycle 1834–1839

1862

cycle 1863–1890

1937

cycle 1900–1949

1962

cycle 1950–1974

1987

cycle 1975–1999

O uppercase · 6 years

1786

cycle 1784–1785

1837

cycle 1834–1839

1863

cycle 1863–1890

1938

cycle 1900–1949

1963

cycle 1950–1974

1988

cycle 1975–1999

P uppercase · 6 years

1787

cycle 1786–1823

1838

cycle 1834–1839

1864

cycle 1863–1890

1939

cycle 1900–1949

1964

cycle 1950–1974

1989

cycle 1975–1999

Q uppercase · 6 years

1788

cycle 1786–1823

1839

cycle 1834–1839

1865

cycle 1863–1890

1940

cycle 1900–1949

1965

cycle 1950–1974

1990

cycle 1975–1999

R uppercase · 6 years

1789

cycle 1786–1823

1840

cycle 1840–1847

1866

cycle 1863–1890

1941

cycle 1900–1949

1966

cycle 1950–1974

1991

cycle 1975–1999

S uppercase · 6 years

1790

cycle 1786–1823

1841

cycle 1840–1847

1867

cycle 1863–1890

1942

cycle 1900–1949

1967

cycle 1950–1974

1992

cycle 1975–1999

T uppercase · 6 years

1791

cycle 1786–1823

1842

cycle 1840–1847

1868

cycle 1863–1890

1943

cycle 1900–1949

1968

cycle 1950–1974

1993

cycle 1975–1999

U uppercase · 6 years

1792

cycle 1786–1823

1843

cycle 1840–1847

1869

cycle 1863–1890

1944

cycle 1900–1949

1969

cycle 1950–1974

1994

cycle 1975–1999

V uppercase · 6 years

1793

cycle 1786–1823

1844

cycle 1840–1847

1870

cycle 1863–1890

1945

cycle 1900–1949

1970

cycle 1950–1974

1995

cycle 1975–1999

W uppercase · 6 years

1794

cycle 1786–1823

1845

cycle 1840–1847

1871

cycle 1863–1890

1946

cycle 1900–1949

1971

cycle 1950–1974

1996

cycle 1975–1999

X uppercase · 6 years

1795

cycle 1786–1823

1846

cycle 1840–1847

1872

cycle 1863–1890

1947

cycle 1900–1949

1972

cycle 1950–1974

1997

cycle 1975–1999

Y uppercase · 6 years

1796

cycle 1786–1823

1847

cycle 1840–1847

1873

cycle 1863–1890

1948

cycle 1900–1949

1973

cycle 1973

1998

cycle 1975–1999

Z uppercase · 6 years

1797

cycle 1786–1823

1848

cycle 1840–1847

1874

cycle 1863–1890

1949

cycle 1900–1949

1974

cycle 1950–1974

1999

cycle 1975–1999

a lowercase · 4 years

1798

cycle 1798–1811

1875

cycle 1863–1890

1900

cycle 1900–1949

2000

cycle 2000–2024

b lowercase · 4 years

1799

cycle 1798–1811

1876

cycle 1863–1890

1901

cycle 1900–1949

2001

cycle 2000–2024

c lowercase · 4 years

1800

cycle 1798–1811

1877

cycle 1863–1890

1902

cycle 1900–1949

2002

cycle 2000–2024

d lowercase · 4 years

1801

cycle 1798–1811

1878

cycle 1863–1890

1903

cycle 1900–1949

2003

cycle 2000–2024

e lowercase · 4 years

1802

cycle 1798–1811

1879

cycle 1863–1890

1904

cycle 1900–1949

2004

cycle 2000–2024

f lowercase · 4 years

1803

cycle 1798–1811

1880

cycle 1863–1890

1905

cycle 1900–1949

2005

cycle 2000–2024

g lowercase · 4 years

1804

cycle 1798–1811

1881

cycle 1863–1890

1906

cycle 1900–1949

2006

cycle 2000–2024

h lowercase · 4 years

1805

cycle 1798–1811

1882

cycle 1863–1890

1907

cycle 1900–1949

2007

cycle 2000–2024

i lowercase · 3 years

1806

cycle 1798–1811

1883

cycle 1863–1890

1908

1914

cycle 1900–1949

2014

cycle 2000–2024

q lowercase · 3 years

1814

cycle 1786–1823

1915

cycle 1900–1949

2015

cycle 2000–2024

r lowercase · 3 years

1815

cycle 1786–1823

1916

cycle 1900–1949

2016

cycle 2000–2024

s lowercase · 3 years

1816

cycle 1786–1823

1917

cycle 1900–1949

2017

cycle 2000–2024

t lowercase · 3 years

1817

cycle 1786–1823

1918

cycle 1900–1949

2018

1823

cycle 1786–1823

1899

cycle 1891–1899

1924

cycle 1900–1949

2024

cycle 2000–2024

The other UK Assay Offices

If your piece’s town mark doesn’t match the Anchor, try one of the other active offices:

London Leopard's Head Sheffield Yorkshire Rose (1975+) or Crown (1773–1974) Edinburgh Three-towered castle

For closed historical offices — Chester, Newcastle, Exeter, York, Glasgow — and Dublin, see the main identifier; full per-office cycle data is wired into the wizard for those too.

Main UK Silver Hallmarks Identifier (multi-office wizard)
Official site: Birmingham Assay Office
Goldsmiths’ Company — the compulsory hallmarking authority for England and Wales

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Birmingham Silver Hallmarks

Anchor

History

Reading the marks on a Birmingham piece

Identifying the date — using the date letter

Birmingham date letter — pick the letter on your piece

A uppercase · 6 years

B uppercase · 7 years

C uppercase · 7 years

D uppercase · 7 years

E uppercase · 7 years

F uppercase · 7 years

G uppercase · 6 years

H uppercase · 6 years

I uppercase · 5 years

J uppercase · 2 years

K uppercase · 6 years

L uppercase · 6 years

M uppercase · 6 years

N uppercase · 6 years

O uppercase · 6 years

P uppercase · 6 years

Q uppercase · 6 years

R uppercase · 6 years

S uppercase · 6 years

T uppercase · 6 years

U uppercase · 6 years

V uppercase · 6 years

W uppercase · 6 years

X uppercase · 6 years

Y uppercase · 6 years

Z uppercase · 6 years

a lowercase · 4 years

b lowercase · 4 years

c lowercase · 4 years

d lowercase · 4 years

e lowercase · 4 years

f lowercase · 4 years

g lowercase · 4 years

h lowercase · 4 years

i lowercase · 3 years

j lowercase · 2 years

k lowercase · 4 years

l lowercase · 4 years

m lowercase · 4 years

n lowercase · 4 years

o lowercase · 4 years

p lowercase · 3 years

q lowercase · 3 years

r lowercase · 3 years

s lowercase · 3 years

t lowercase · 3 years

u lowercase · 3 years

v lowercase · 4 years

w lowercase · 4 years

x lowercase · 4 years

y lowercase · 4 years

z lowercase · 4 years

The other UK Assay Offices

Related

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