posted 01-04-2017 11:18 PM            

So I've been messing with Georgian silver for close to 20 years now and early on I started to be very picky about condition.

This week I had the opportunity to get this basting spoon by William Bateman basically for scrap price. Even at melt price I typically pass if the condition is poor but this piece really spoke to me.

Aside from the tip wear (which is significant) the spoon is in mint condition otherwise and the hallmarks are to die for! What's more, it has the most scarce version of the 1815 duty mark used for 2 or 3 weeks!

My question is: How forgiving are you guys in regards to tip wear on spoons like this? I'm curious to hear all opinions whether they are for or against keeping such items.

The spoon:
William Bateman, London, 1815:

posted 01-05-2017 09:39 AM            

The thought that some people melt down these beautiful works of art is depressing.

posted 01-05-2017 09:44 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by doc:
I too have become more picky about condition in my collecting. I am OK with minor tip wear in really early pieces, or if it is among a set of spoons, and is only one or two of the set. In your example, I think I have would purchased it because of the rarity of the hallmark.

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Doc - wonder if you could clarify what you mean by "rarity of the hallmark". Do you mean because of the maker/year - or because of the clarity of the hallmark? Just curious. Tks

posted 01-05-2017 10:37 AM            

And indeed, it's experienced but not abused at all. Aside from the tip wear it's mint condition. I can tell by the way it's worn that it was used to stir while cooking.

posted 01-05-2017 09:48 PM            

I am relatively certain this spoon was used for a long time to stir pots. The wear totally looks right for that.

posted 01-09-2017 02:42 PM            

Helen Clifford in her book “Silver in London” notes that the mending of silver was an integral part of the business of the Parker and Wakelin partnership in 1760s and 1770s. “The customer accounts revealed that their silver received hard and regular use and was not kept purely for display.”

As a result Parker and Wakelin had a real business need to maintain repair facilities to keep their customers happy. The repair of silver has been going on for a long time and I expect was a nice profit center for the silversmith.

Today many are not buying silver items for daily use and sometimes for no use at all except to look at. This change may well alter our thought about repair. I must admit though that I really kind of like repairs that are well done. It adds another dimension to the history of the piece. Also some of the most interesting people I know are in the business of restoring, repairing or conserving antiques of all kinds.

posted 01-09-2017 09:00 PM            

Funny story, Eric Shrubsole was a weekend neighbor for 20 years in the next town over. He'd drop by the workshop occasionally. This time I was taking a dent out of a 1760ish London coffee pot. His eyes weren't that good in his late 80's (everything else was!) and he glanced at the pot picked it up and immediately announced "its a fake". I was shocked and asked how can you tell without looking at it? "Its too heavy. The base with marks, spout, handle ferrules and lid have been cut off the old worn thin pot, a new body knocked up and all the original bits soldered on". This was a modern London "repair"!

So yes, bad repairs and dodgy alterations -not good!

posted 01-18-2017 10:43 AM            

Rule One
Always remember that a perfect specimen is worth more on the market than a damaged or worn one

Rule Two
A perfect specimen is quite likely to have been restored by really good repairer than be in original condition