What is the Sheffield silver hallmark?

The Sheffield town mark is the Yorkshire Rose (1975+) or Crown (1773–1974). A crown until 1974; a Yorkshire Rose from 1975 onwards. The Sheffield Assay Office has been operating since 1773 and is still active today.

How do I find the year a Sheffield 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 Sheffield 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 Sheffield Assay Office today?

The Sheffield Assay Office is still active. Their official website is https://www.assayoffice.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.

Sheffield Silver Hallmarks

Last verified: 6 May 2026

← Back to the UK Silver Hallmarks Identifier

Yorkshire Rose

Yorkshire Rose (1975+) or Crown (1773–1974)

A crown until 1974; a Yorkshire Rose from 1975 onwards.

In use since 1773 Still active England 18 cycles 258 dated letters on this page

Background

History

Sheffield was established in 1773 alongside Birmingham. The crown town mark was used until 1974, after which the office switched to the Yorkshire Rose. Sheffield is closely associated with the cutlery trade and with Sheffield Plate — the fused-silver-on-copper technique invented in the city in the 1740s and used widely before electroplating took over in the 1840s.

Reading the marks

Reading the marks on a Sheffield piece

Sheffield silver from 1773 to 1974 carries the crown town mark together with the Lion Passant for sterling 925. From 1975 the mark changed to the Yorkshire Rose. Both marks appear on pieces in resale circulation today: anything labelled with a crown is pre-1975, anything with a rose is post-1975. The mark change is one of the most precise dating shortcuts in UK silver — if you see Sheffield + Yorkshire Rose, the piece is from 1975 onwards.

Dating

Identifying the date — using the date letter

Sheffield's pre-1975 cycle was independent of London and Birmingham. From 1975 onwards, all four UK Assay Offices share the same date-letter sequence. Sheffield publishes its full historical chart on the Assay Office website.

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.

Date letters

Sheffield date letter — pick the letter on your piece

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

Uppercase

Lowercase

Pick a letter above to see the years Sheffield used it (258 year-letter pairs across 52 letters).

A uppercase · 8 years

1779

cycle 1773–1783

1806

cycle 1798–1813

1844

cycle 1840–1859

1868

cycle 1862–1890

1943

cycle 1918–1974

1968

cycle 1918–1974

1975

cycle 1975–1999

2025

cycle 2025–present

B uppercase · 8 years

1783

cycle 1773–1783

1805

cycle 1798–1813

1845

cycle 1840–1859

1869

cycle 1862–1890

1944

cycle 1918–1974

1969

cycle 1918–1974

1976

cycle 1975–1999

2026

cycle 2025–present

C uppercase · 8 years

1782

cycle 1773–1783

1811

cycle 1798–1813

1846

cycle 1840–1859

1870

cycle 1862–1890

1945

cycle 1918–1974

1970

cycle 1918–1974

1977

cycle 1975–1999

2027

cycle 2025–present

D uppercase · 8 years

1781

cycle 1773–1783

1812

cycle 1798–1813

1847

cycle 1840–1859

1871

cycle 1862–1890

1946

cycle 1918–1974

1971

cycle 1918–1974

1978

cycle 1975–1999

2028

cycle 2025–present

E uppercase · 8 years

1773

cycle 1773–1783

1799

cycle 1798–1813

1848

cycle 1840–1859

1872

cycle 1862–1890

1947

cycle 1918–1974

1972

cycle 1918–1974

1979

cycle 1975–1999

2029

cycle 2025–present

F uppercase · 8 years

1774

cycle 1773–1783

1803

cycle 1798–1813

1849

cycle 1840–1859

1873

cycle 1862–1890

1948

cycle 1918–1974

1973

cycle 1918–1974

1980

cycle 1975–1999

2030

cycle 2025–present

G uppercase · 6 years

1804

cycle 1798–1813

1850

cycle 1840–1859

1874

cycle 1862–1890

1949

cycle 1918–1974

1974

cycle 1918–1974

1981

cycle 1975–1999

H uppercase · 6 years

1777

cycle 1773–1783

1801

cycle 1798–1813

1851

cycle 1840–1859

1875

cycle 1862–1890

1950

cycle 1918–1974

1982

cycle 1975–1999

I uppercase · 5 years

1784

cycle 1773–1783

1818

cycle 1814–1819

1852

cycle 1840–1859

1951

cycle 1918–1974

1983

cycle 1975–1999

J uppercase · 1 year

1876

cycle 1862–1890

K uppercase · 6 years

1786

cycle 1786–1797

1809

cycle 1798–1813

1853

cycle 1840–1859

1877

cycle 1862–1890

1952

cycle 1918–1974

1984

cycle 1975–1999

L uppercase · 6 years

1790

cycle 1786–1797

1810

cycle 1798–1813

1854

cycle 1840–1859

1878

cycle 1862–1890

1953

cycle 1918–1974

1985

cycle 1975–1999

M uppercase · 6 years

1789

cycle 1786–1797

1802

cycle 1798–1813

1855

cycle 1840–1859

1879

cycle 1862–1890

1954

cycle 1918–1974

1986

cycle 1975–1999

N uppercase · 6 years

1775

cycle 1773–1783

1800

cycle 1798–1813

1856

cycle 1840–1859

1880

cycle 1862–1890

1955

cycle 1918–1974

1987

cycle 1975–1999

O uppercase · 5 years

1815

cycle 1814–1819

1857

cycle 1840–1859

1881

cycle 1862–1890

1956

cycle 1918–1974

1988

cycle 1975–1999

P uppercase · 6 years

1791

cycle 1786–1797

1808

cycle 1798–1813

1858

cycle 1840–1859

1882

cycle 1862–1890

1957

cycle 1918–1974

1989

cycle 1975–1999

Q uppercase · 4 years

1820

cycle 1820–1823

1883

cycle 1862–1890

1958

cycle 1918–1974

1990

cycle 1975–1999

R uppercase · 6 years

1776

cycle 1773–1783

1813

cycle 1798–1813

1859

cycle 1840–1859

1884

cycle 1862–1890

1959

cycle 1918–1974

1991

cycle 1975–1999

S uppercase · 6 years

1778

cycle 1773–1783

1807

cycle 1798–1813

1860

cycle 1860–1861

1885

cycle 1862–1890

1960

cycle 1918–1974

1992

cycle 1975–1999

T uppercase · 7 years

1780

cycle 1773–1783

1787

cycle 1786–1797

1816

cycle 1814–1819

1861

cycle 1860–1861

1886

cycle 1862–1890

1961

cycle 1918–1974

1993

cycle 1975–1999

U uppercase · 5 years

1823

cycle 1820–1823

1862

cycle 1862–1890

1887

cycle 1862–1890

1962

cycle 1918–1974

1994

cycle 1975–1999

V uppercase · 6 years

1798

cycle 1798–1813

1819

cycle 1814–1819

1863

cycle 1862–1890

1888

cycle 1862–1890

1963

cycle 1918–1974

1995

cycle 1975–1999

W uppercase · 6 years

1788

cycle 1786–1797

1814

cycle 1814–1819

1864

cycle 1862–1890

1889

cycle 1862–1890

1964

cycle 1918–1974

1996

cycle 1975–1999

X uppercase · 6 years

1797

cycle 1786–1797

1817

cycle 1814–1819

1865

cycle 1862–1890

1890

cycle 1862–1890

1965

cycle 1918–1974

1997

cycle 1975–1999

Y uppercase · 6 years

1785

cycle 1784–1785

1821

cycle 1820–1823

1866

cycle 1862–1890

1891

cycle 1891–1917

1966

cycle 1918–1974

1998

cycle 1975–1999

Z uppercase · 6 years

1796

cycle 1786–1797

1822

cycle 1820–1823

1867

cycle 1862–1890

1892

cycle 1891–1917

1967

cycle 1918–1974

1999

cycle 1975–1999

a lowercase · 4 years

1824

cycle 1824–1827

1893

cycle 1891–1917

1918

cycle 1918–1974

2000

cycle 2000–2024

b lowercase · 4 years

1825

cycle 1824–1827

1894

cycle 1891–1917

1919

cycle 1918–1974

2001

cycle 2000–2024

c lowercase · 4 years

1826

cycle 1824–1827

1895

cycle 1891–1917

1920

cycle 1918–1974

2002

cycle 2000–2024

d lowercase · 4 years

1827

cycle 1824–1827

1896

cycle 1891–1917

1921

cycle 1918–1974

2003

cycle 2000–2024

e lowercase · 4 years

1828

cycle 1828–1834

1897

cycle 1891–1917

1922

cycle 1918–1974

2004

cycle 2000–2024

f lowercase · 4 years

1829

cycle 1829–1831

1898

cycle 1891–1917

1923

cycle 1918–1974

2005

cycle 2000–2024

g lowercase · 4 years

1830

cycle 1829–1831

1899

cycle 1891–1917

1924

cycle 1918–1974

2006

cycle 2000–2024

h lowercase · 4 years

1831

cycle 1829–1831

1900

cycle 1891–1917

1925

cycle 1918–1974

2007

cycle 2000–2024

i lowercase · 2 years

1901

cycle 1891–1917

1926

cycle 1918–1974

j lowercase · 1 year

2008

cycle 2000–2024

k lowercase · 4 years

1832

cycle 1828–1834

1902

cycle 1891–1917

1927

cycle 1918–1974

2009

cycle 2000–2024

l lowercase · 4 years

1833

cycle 1828–1834

1903

cycle 1891–1917

1928

cycle 1918–1974

2010

cycle 2000–2024

m lowercase · 5 years

1794

cycle 1786–1797

1834

cycle 1828–1834

1904

cycle 1891–1917

1929

cycle 1918–1974

2011

cycle 2000–2024

n lowercase · 3 years

1905

cycle 1891–1917

1930

cycle 1918–1974

2012

cycle 2000–2024

o lowercase · 4 years

1793

cycle 1786–1797

1906

cycle 1891–1917

1931

cycle 1918–1974

2013

cycle 2000–2024

p lowercase · 4 years

1835

cycle 1835–1839

1907

cycle 1891–1917

1932

cycle 1918–1974

2014

cycle 2000–2024

q lowercase · 5 years

1795

cycle 1786–1797

1836

cycle 1835–1839

1908

cycle 1891–1917

1933

cycle 1918–1974

2015

cycle 2000–2024

r lowercase · 4 years

1837

cycle 1835–1839

1909

cycle 1891–1917

1934

cycle 1918–1974

2016

cycle 2000–2024

s lowercase · 4 years

1838

cycle 1835–1839

1910

cycle 1891–1917

1935

cycle 1918–1974

2017

cycle 2000–2024

t lowercase · 4 years

1839

cycle 1835–1839

1911

cycle 1891–1917

1936

cycle 1918–1974

2018

cycle 2000–2024

u lowercase · 5 years

1792

cycle 1786–1797

1840

cycle 1840–1859

1912

cycle 1891–1917

1937

cycle 1918–1974

2019

cycle 2000–2024

v lowercase · 4 years

1841

cycle 1840–1859

1913

cycle 1891–1917

1938

cycle 1918–1974

2020

cycle 2000–2024

w lowercase · 3 years

1914

cycle 1891–1917

1939

cycle 1918–1974

2021

cycle 2000–2024

x lowercase · 4 years

1842

cycle 1840–1859

1915

cycle 1891–1917

1940

cycle 1918–1974

2022

cycle 2000–2024

y lowercase · 3 years

1916

cycle 1891–1917

1941

cycle 1918–1974

2023

cycle 2000–2024

z lowercase · 4 years

1843

cycle 1840–1859

1917

cycle 1891–1917

1942

cycle 1918–1974

2024

cycle 2000–2024

Other offices

The other UK Assay Offices

If your piece’s town mark doesn’t match the Yorkshire Rose (1975+) or Crown (1773–1974), try one of the other active offices:

London Leopard's Head Birmingham Anchor 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.

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Yorkshire Rose (1975+) or Crown (1773–1974)

History

Reading the marks on a Sheffield piece

Identifying the date — using the date letter

Sheffield date letter — pick the letter on your piece

A uppercase · 8 years

B uppercase · 8 years

C uppercase · 8 years

D uppercase · 8 years

E uppercase · 8 years

F uppercase · 8 years

G uppercase · 6 years

H uppercase · 6 years

I uppercase · 5 years

J uppercase · 1 year

K uppercase · 6 years

L uppercase · 6 years

M uppercase · 6 years

N uppercase · 6 years

O uppercase · 5 years

P uppercase · 6 years

Q uppercase · 4 years

R uppercase · 6 years

S uppercase · 6 years

T uppercase · 7 years

U uppercase · 5 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 · 2 years

j lowercase · 1 year

k lowercase · 4 years

l lowercase · 4 years

m lowercase · 5 years

n lowercase · 3 years

o lowercase · 4 years

p lowercase · 4 years

q lowercase · 5 years

r lowercase · 4 years

s lowercase · 4 years

t lowercase · 4 years

u lowercase · 5 years

v lowercase · 4 years

w lowercase · 3 years

x lowercase · 4 years

y lowercase · 3 years

z lowercase · 4 years

The other UK Assay Offices

Related

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