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Grimwade records two Benjamin Coopers (I and II) but speculates that although their signatures differ they may be actually the same man. The report in Gentlemans Magazine of his death in 1786 at the age of 88 mentions that he had been a working silversmith for over 60 years . This certainly suggests one long lived man with his son Joshua succeeding him at Brownlow Street, Holborn .

The Old Bailey case given below supports the case for the one man only theory.

6 April 1760. The Proceedings of the Old Bailey Ref: t17600416-33
Benjamin Cooper. I live in Brownlow Street, Holbourn, and am a silver-smith . The prisoner was employed to file silver buckles for me, and had lived with me about twelve months. On the 8th of March John Fox had detected him with a parcel of silver file dust, upon which I inquired where his lodgings were. I went there with my son, and we found other parcels there.. .. .. .
Joshua Cooper. I am son to the prosecutor. John Fox, one of our servants, having seen the prisoner with some filings in his hand, I and my father went to his lodgings, and found there two other parcels of silver filings
John Fox. I am servant to Mr. Cooper. .. .. .. I saw the prisoner with some silver filings in his hand, and he seemed to hide it, which gave me a suspicion of him, so I acquainted my young master with it.
Prisoner's Defence.
" .. .. , I kick'd a bit of paper before me in the shop, which I pick'd up, and there was about a quarter of an ounce of filings in it. John Fox came and asked me what I had got in my hand, and bid me put it into the skin, and said if I did he would say nothing to my master about it; but presently he told my young master of it."

One concludes that " my master" was Benjamin, and "my young master" was Joshau.

This, from the address give, is identifiable as Grimwade's Benjamin Cooper II, but indicates he has been in business for a long time before 1760. His son, Joshua is clearly adult. So the first mark in 1764 for Grimwade's Benjamin Cooper II could well be a further mark of Cooper I

Another interesting possibility is that John Fox was John Faux. The name Faux was undoubtedly pronounced Fox , rather than Foe . Faux's son was baptised in 1761 at St. George , Holborn so he was in the area before registration of his first mark .

A Benjamin Cooper was fined for substandard buckles in 1763 -1769

During 1771 -1773 a Benjamin Cowper is recorded as supplying Parker & Wakelin with spurs. There is no Cowper recorded as silversmith by Grimwade so this could also be Cooper, as bucklemakers were known to supply spurs

Gentlemans Magazine 1786 page 910 records under deaths
" In Brownlow Street, Mr Benjamin Cooper aged 88, upwards of 60 years working silversmith" on 11 October 1786

On 17 October 1786 the Will of Benjamin Cooper, Goldsmith of St Andrew Holborn was proved at PCC , the same day as Joshua Cooper registered his bucklemaker mark at same address.

His will states "I desire to be buried in as plain a manner as under the pulpit in Great Saint Batholomews Church Smithfield near the remains of my late dear Wife " and gives to his son Josuha his tools and utensils of trade "and also such much of my Stock of Silver both Wrought and Unwrought as shall be of the value of three hundred pounds or the Deficiency if any to be made up to him in Money." The will runs to 12 pages and he appears to have had a vast number of grandchildren which he provides for in great detail.These include Joshua Hiram Cooper son of his son Joshua Cooper. He also mentions "my daughter Elizabeth Borman ,Widow and " my granddaughter Elizabeth Cooper, daughter of my late eldest son George Cooper " . He leaves an annuity of forty pounds per annum "for the maintenance and support of my Daughter Sarah Cooper ( a lunatic) during her life.. .. . ...my said executors to whom I commit the care and Guardianship of my said Daughter".

On 10 January 1787 World and Fashionable Advertiser carried an advertisement for " claims against the Estate of Benjamin Cooper of Brownlow Street , Holborn,Silversmith lately deceased"

By luck I was recently able to buy a letter to Mr Cooper, sent by a wholesale customer abroad.

The letter, from the Brothers MOIANA dated 3 November 1767, was sent to " Mr B Cooper , Silver Buckle Maker in Browlow Street near Bedford row Houlborne" . Town of the letter's origin is given - but not readable. There is a bishopmark of the London Foreign Branch of NO/7 (November 7 ) so would have come from somewhere in Europe having taken 3 or 4 days to travel to England.
Probably from the name Moiana this was from Italy. Letter advises the return of 82 buckles in a box sent separately complaining ."'the fashion here is oval shape". These buckles appear to be part of an ongoing contract between Cooper and the Brothers Moiana in Italy .

Several points of interest only to buckle freaks like myself.
(a) I've previously noticed that there was a change in England from rectilear or shouldered buckles to more oval shapes in the 1756 - 1770 period. My own guess, for there's no dateletters pre 1773 , that the change in England was around 1760 - 65 .
(b) Buckles were described as setts for men but as pairs for women,the majority being for men. Obviously there was a differentiation made between buckles for female and male use. Except perhaps by size no-one today can guess what it was !
The words "setts" and "pairs" make me feel that perhaps "sett" meant a set of both shoe and knee buckles for men, and "pair " was for a pair of shoe buckles only , as women did not wear breeches which needed knee buckles .
(c) From the letter it seems that at least one London Silver Buckle Maker had a thriving export trade .

Just adding this snippet because of the title awarded to Benjamin Cooper:

In Brownlow Street, Holborn, aged 88, Mr. Benjamin Cooper, the oldest working silversmith in London.

Source: The European Magazine and London Review for October 1786