The records of the London goldsmiths' Garrard for 1760 include customer orders for spoons and forks which are described as 'turn'd back'. This is almost certainly a reference to pieces like this, in which the finial turns back or down so that they can be laid on the table with the bowl or tines uppermost (as we would set them on the table today). Turned back finials are unlike the French patterns which English goldsmiths imitated during the second half of the eighteenth century, and consequently this distinctive style has come to be known as 'Old English'. This is one of a group of five spoons in the V&A by Hester Bateman which have been gilded and engraved in this way in the nineteenth century in order to form a distinctive set. All were presented to the Museum in March 1910 by Mr R. A. Kirby of 2a Dryburgh Road, Putney.