Regnal year

A year numbered from the beginning of a monarch’s reign. Regnal years provide a dating system that can differ from calendar years.

Accession: The formal assumption of a position or office, especially a monarch’s throne. The accession date usually anchors the count of a reign’s years.
Royal charter: A formal document issued by a monarch granting rights, privileges, or legal status. Charters often date their issue by the reigning monarch’s year.
Japanese era name: A name assigned to a period associated with a Japanese emperor’s reign. Japanese era years count from an era’s start, which may fall after the emperor’s accession.
Chronological synchronization: The alignment of separate chronological systems or sequences of events. Historians synchronize reign counts with calendar dates to compare records across regions.
Accession day: The date on which a ruler assumes the throne. Some systems begin the first regnal year on this date; others wait for a fixed calendar boundary.
Epigraphy: The study and interpretation of inscriptions carved or written on durable materials. Inscriptions preserve regnal dates that help establish their historical chronology.
Anno Domini: A year-numbering system that counts years from the traditionally calculated birth of Jesus. It offers a continuous year count that can be used alongside regnal dating.
Coregency: A period during which two rulers govern jointly, often a monarch and an heir. A coregency can complicate which ruler’s regnal year a source is counting.
Anniversary dating: A dating method that marks elapsed years from the anniversary of a starting event. It contrasts with systems that begin a new regnal year on a set annual date.
Numismatics: The study of coins, currency, and related objects. Regnal dating on coins can help identify when and under whose authority they were issued.

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