Introduction

Type in a simple Ebay search for Hester Bateman Silver, and you'll find yourself inundated with hundreds of listings to peruse. However- most of us have limited time and patience. We're serious about collecting, and we want to quickly weed out imposter pieces. In a perfect world dealers would never fall prey to uncertainty, and they'd always submit truthful auction listings. Luckily, in a less-than-perfect world there are significant identifiers to be aware of when searching for those precious House of Bateman pieces....

History

Hester Bateman (1709-1794) was the most famous 18th c. female silversmith. She married goldsmith John Bateman, whereby together they worked a small silversmith business. It is believed John never held a formal apprenticeship, which is why many Bateman pieces had been contracted out to talented craftsmen.

Suggestive that Hester was talented in her own right without formal training, John left her the business upon his death in 1760. Widowed at 51, with 6 children, Hester took over their metal venture in Bunhill Row. Her sons Peter and Jonathon, daughter in law Ann, and grandson William joined Hester in expanding the business.

Punchmarks

With 8 more to follow, Hester registered her first mark HB in 1761. Favoring simplistic and elegant form over broad ornamentation of rococo styling, Bateman silver promoted affordability to upper middle class while still securing a place within Church and noble rankings.

Authentic House of Bateman pieces have markings such as: HB;  A;  PB,AB (PB over AB), PB, AB, WB (PB on top, AB center, WB on bottom);  PB, WB (PB over WB);  WB;  I ; and  PB, IB (PB over IB).

Hester's marking is script style, while the others are roman text. The PB, IB (Peter Bateman, Jonathan Bateman) marking is most rare, as it was in use merely four months before Jonathan's death.

Other notable markings include the lion, jester, and silhouette.

Production

Hester did not retire until after 80 years of age. From a one-worker hut, her eye for detail fashioned a huge and successful family business. Her signature thin linebeading and brightly cut engravings became key characteristics of the Bateman line. Over a 30 year period,  the Bateman family designed over 11,000 pieces which today rank at the top for 18th and early 19th c. silver.