Hester Bateman silver spoon

Hi,

I am a beginner to collecting antiques and was wondering if anyone can help me?
I recently purchased a silver spoon marked as a Hester Bateman piece, but I feel it could be a fake. I believe the date mark is 1756, could be 1781. But I’m suspicious as it doesn’t have the crowned leopards head mark and it is also stamped at the top of the spoon not the stem. I’ve uploaded some pics and would appreciate if anyone could tell me if it is real or not.

Thank you

 

Here is a link to all the London date letters of F/f. You'll see that f was not used in 1756. The years with f all end in 1. So if it's anything real, it has to be 1781 (which does fit into Hester's working years which end in 1790.)

http://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Dates/London/Date Letters F.html

I really don't know what to say about whether this is "real" or a reproduction. Where did you get it? Did you pay a lot or a little?

 

Thank you for the reply, I did think it was 1781. Here’s the other thing, I got it from an antiques shop for only £15, so that got me thinking too. Should it have the crowned leopards head on it or not?

 

When such a famous maker is priced that low, I'd be skeptical too. Technically it should have the crowned leopard, but it's London, and one of our experienced UK members said at one point that a missing leopard was not a deal breaker.

Have you had it tested for sterling content?

 

No not yet, but I will look into it for sure! I have had a look at that link you sent and the F and it does difffer from the original mark, but I will get it looked at. Thank you for your response it has been really helpful and I’ll post my findings when I know.

 

I wouldn't think there would be fakes of such things

Normally in that period the mono would be on the other side of the handle but the maker's mark is there

 

It would be easier if the photo was turned 90 degrees to the left.There have been a number of marks attributed to Hester Bateman and may or maybe not be her mark....... http://www.ascasonline.org/ARTICOLOAGOS197.html

 

we don't do easy here..........

 

Looks OK to me, marks in usual places, monogram normal font for period, HB is like others I have had, missing town mark not very unusual and the price not unusually cheap for a single spoon that I am guessing is a teaspoon. I am quite sure it is not anything but what it seems.
The only silversmith of the period where I have had a notably high price for a single piece of cutlery was Paul Storr.

 

not too hard . . .

 

I'm with af. People get bent out of shape about presence or absence of town marks, where a hallmark is, the order and so on. It wasn't an exact science. Fifteen quid is about right for a little HB spoon.