Reading hallmarks

How to read London silver hallmarks

By the Sortwell team · Updated 9 November 2026 · 4 min read

An antique silver teapot on a polished mahogany sideboard in a room with a tall sash window.

Short answer: On London silver hallmarks, a leopard's head is the town mark of the London Assay Office. A crowned head means the piece was probably marked before about 1822, and an uncrowned head means after. On a London piece you'll usually also find a walking lion for sterling silver, a maker's mark and a date letter. London's letters ran in 20-letter cycles, so you need the letter's style and shield as well as the letter itself.

On this page

The leopard's head
The other marks on London silver
London's date letter cycles
London makers worth looking for
Common questions

London is the oldest of the UK's assay offices, and it's the mark you'll see on a large share of older British silver. If you're new to this, start with our guide to reading silver hallmarks, then come back here to narrow down the date.

The leopard's head

The leopard's head has been London's mark for centuries. It's the most useful clue on a London piece because its style changed.

London used a crowned leopard's head until the early 1820s, and The Silver Society dates the change to 1821. Pieces from the 1821 to 1822 year can show either form, and the uncrowned head was standard from 1822 to 1823. The uncrowned head carried on after that and is still the London mark today.

Don't assume a leopard always means London. Other English offices also struck a leopard's head on sterling silver at various times, so check for another town mark beside it.

The other marks on London silver

Mark	What to look for	What it tells you
Lion passant	A walking lion	Sterling silver. Until about 1821 London's lion looks back over its shoulder
Britannia and lion's head erased	A seated figure and a lion's head with a jagged neck	Britannia silver, required from 1697 to 1720
Sovereign's head	A monarch in profile	Duty paid, 1784 to 1890
Date letter	A letter in a shield	The year of marking
Maker's mark	Initials	Who made the piece or sent it in

London's date letter cycles

London's letters began in 1478 and ran in cycles of 20 letters, A to U, leaving out J. Each cycle used a different style of letter and shield, so a capital C in one cycle is a different year from a capital C in another.

Here are the cycles from 1697, taken from Mozeris Fine Antiques' chart, which is checked against Jackson's reference work and agrees with other published cycle tables.

Cycle	Letter style	Shield
1697 to 1715	Court-hand small letters	Shaped, pointed base
1716 to 1735	Roman capitals	Pointed base
1736 to 1755	Roman small letters	Pointed base, notched sides from 1739
1756 to 1775	Old English capitals	Notched sides, pointed base
1776 to 1795	Roman small letters	Pointed base, indented top corners
1796 to 1815	Roman capitals	Clipped top corners, pointed base
1816 to 1835	Roman small letters	Clipped top corners, pointed base
1836 to 1855	Old English capitals	Pointed base
1856 to 1875	Old English small letters	Cut corners, pointed base
1876 to 1895	Roman capitals	Rounded or pointed base
1896 to 1915	Roman small letters	Indented top corners, rounded base
1916 to 1935	Old English small letters	Cut top corners, pointed base
1936 to 1955	Plain capitals	Square with cut corners
1956 to 1974	Italic small letters	Square with clipped corners

To find the year, work out which cycle fits the style and shield, then count along the alphabet from A, skipping J. A letter D in the 1876 to 1895 cycle, for example, is the fourth letter, so it's 1879.

Until 1974, London's year began in May, so each letter covers parts of two calendar years. Since 1975 every UK office has used one shared letter that changes on 1 January, and the main hallmarks guide has that table.

Shield shapes can vary a little on small pieces and flatware. If a date really matters, check against Jackson's or Bradbury's, or ask the Goldsmiths' Company Library, which identifies marks struck before 1975 from clear photographs.

London makers worth looking for

Most London silver comes from makers few people have heard of, and it sells on weight, age and quality. A handful of names matter a good deal more. Hester Bateman and Paul Storr are two that collectors look for, and a piece with either mark deserves a proper look before it goes to auction in a mixed lot.

Our guide to valuing antiques explains how to find what similar pieces have sold for. If the piece is part of an estate, it will also need a figure for probate.

Common questions

What does the leopard's head mean on silver?

It's the town mark of the London Assay Office. A crowned head usually means the piece was marked before about 1822, and an uncrowned head means it's later.

How do I date London silver?

Find the date letter, then match its style and shield to one of London's cycles. Count from A within the cycle, leaving out J, to get the year. Remember that before 1975 each letter covers parts of two calendar years.

Why does London silver have a lion and a leopard?

Because each one tells you something different: the lion shows the silver is sterling standard, and the leopard's head shows it was tested in London.

What does a monarch's head mean on London silver?

It's a duty mark showing tax was paid. It appears on silver marked between 1784 and 1890, so it's a quick way to date a piece.

Sources

This guide is general information for people in England and Wales. The rules in Scotland and Northern Ireland can differ. It isn't legal, tax or financial advice, and Sortwell isn't a law firm or a valuer. If an estate is complicated or there's a disagreement, talk to a solicitor. Figures were checked on the date above.