Old Anvil Identification?

[ssdave]

Got a nice old steel faced anvil at an estate sale. Glad to have it; I don't own one except a piece of railroad iron and 150 pound steel chunk about 12" square. Interested in seeing if anyone here can identify it. I didn't measure it, but it weighs about 100 pounds. Has 3 marks that I can see: Side has some unidentifiable marks (2nd and last photos) that might clean up after electrolysis (not soon). Under the back side has a U stamp. End has what looks like 100 and another number (3rd photo).

 

[drivesitfar]

SS: i don't have a clue who made it, but maybe instead of starting it's own thread here's a SHOW YOUR ANVIL thread that might have some answers for you.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33788&highlight=show+anvil

looks like a good anvil and pretty clean for a 100+ year old tool.

 

[ssdave]

Thanks, Drives,

Figured there was a thread on here, but search didn't turn up that one.

It's a good anvil, and not chipped or beat up much. Good rebound, rings clear and loud, will hurt your ears. Haven't weighed it, I'd guess 120 pounds, maybe only 100. I'm biased toward the 100 because of the 100 stamped on it, but carrying it I'd guess 120. I'll be glad to clean it up with electrolysis, belt sand the top a bit, and use it.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Hi Dave, not sure but it looks a lot like a Trenton to me. Look under the base to see if it has an oval recess in it. That's kind of a telling feature. If it is Trenton the S/N would put it in the 1905-06 time frame if I'm reading it right. Ed.

 

[ssdave]

Hi Dave, not sure but it looks a lot like a Trenton to me. Look under the base to see if it has an oval recess in it. That's kind of a telling feature. If it is Trenton the S/N would put it in the 1905-06 time frame if I'm reading it right. Ed.

Thank You!

That's the one photo I took I didn't show when I ran out of photo's I could download in one post, thought it wouldn't mean much:

 

[drivesitfar]

ORC: WOW!!! can that really make it either 1905 or 1906 too?

you are DA MAN!!

SS: we just keep learning and nice find!!

 

[ssdave]

Doing more research once I had a name, it is definitely a Trenton. All marks match and it is forge welded at the waist, and the oval base hollow is a final clue. Thanks for the great information!

 

[Black Frog]

Trenton stamped ACME for Sears. you can see the bottom portion of the "..CME" letters.

 

[Oregon rock crusher]

Drives I really am not sure if this S/N chart from Anvils in America fits this Trenton but it seems reasonable that it could. In one of Dave's pics you can see the S/N on the lower foot of the anvil pretty well but I suppose if a 1 or 2 was in front it would change the age considerably.

 

[Provincial]

Wow, a real ACME anvil! Does it have Wil E. Coyote's initials on it anywhere?

 

[LesserSon]

My father is gifting this unmarked 15-pounder to my daughter. Wondering if there is any way to identify maker, or approximate age.

 

[SilverDeck]

My father is gifting this unmarked 15-pounder to my daughter. Wondering if there is any way to identify maker, or approximate age.

This was one is cast iron (rather than wrought iron). The face appears to be cast also and not a tool steel plate. Definitely not a Fisher which is the about the only decent cast iron anvil. This one will be fine for tinker around in the garage but don’t try to forge anything on it. If won’t hold up to heavy pounding.

 

[LesserSon]

Thank you. My daughter is working with nonferrous metals, so no forging going to happen on it.