Hester Bateman Caddy Spoon, 1785

Hester Bateman silver caddy spoons tend to follow a standard pattern of bright-cut engraved handle and scallop-shaped bowl, but this is a particularly rare example and has the additional bonus of an important documented provenance.

The spoon has a plain, cuff-shaped thumb plate handle which is adorned with a superbly engraved crest featuring a unicorn. The bowl is the deep, scallop shape that one associates with Hester Bateman caddy spoons. The reverse of the handle is clearly struck with 1785 hallmarks including a great example of the incuse duty mark (used for just 18 months). The famous "HB" maker's mark is partly over-struck with the date letter "K". This is an excellent antique caddy spoon in fine, crisp condition.

This caddy spoon is illustrated as plate 17j in the seminal work - "Caddy Spoons: An Illustrated Guide" by John Norie.