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Should one use an apostrophe when referencing a decade?

For example, consider the following sentence:

I am looking for an antique pool table from the 1890s.

Should it be as shown above, or rather, as shown below with an apostrophe?

I am looking for an antique pool table from the 1890's.

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  • It's a matter of style, so you can do it with an apostrophe, or you can do it the right way.
    – nnnnnn
    Jan 12, 2021 at 11:56
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    @nnnnnn - your comment is a contradiction and wasn't really helpful. You are saying the "right way" is without the apostrophe. You also say it is a matter of style.
    – GWR
    Jan 12, 2021 at 12:02
  • It is a matter of style, so pick the way you prefer and do it consistently. My comment about the right way was a formulaic joke indicating my own preference.
    – nnnnnn
    Jan 14, 2021 at 12:25

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It is a matter of style. You can see from the following Google Ngram, that there has been an increasing tendency since the 1970s to omit the apostrophe.

enter image description here

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