Woodie Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I'm new to this forum and to blacksmithing. I am gathering items and making a forge. Just yesterday I purchased an anvil at an auction. After getting it home I found that it was a Peter Wright. I've done some research and believe that it was made sometime around the middle of the 19th century. Could someone confirm or deny what age this anvil might be. The anvil is marked with "Peter Wright Patent". Below it is "1 0 7" which is spread out from the left side of the base to the right side. My research shows that "1 0 7" means it is a 119 pound anvil which is fairly accurate according to my bathroom scale which shows 117.5 pounds. It does not have England or Solid Wrought written on it anywhere. The overall length is 22", 4" face width, 3 3/16" table width, 10 1/2" tall, and base is 9 3/4" x8 5/8". I have added photos. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, Woodie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 See if your library has or can get a copy of anvils in america by Richard Postman...And if you put your location in this forum there may be someon clase that has a coppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodie Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Thank you Rich, I live near Topeka, Kansas. I checked the local library, they do not have a copy. I will have to check later to see if they can get one. A local college may have a copy I can use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Jim Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Get your hands on a copy of the book. It's worth it. Based on my memory, it became a law around 1915 for items exported out of England to say England on them. So I think it would have been made prior to then. I got a copy through Inter Library Loan. Ask your local library about it. Postman is the expert on the subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKForge Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 (edited) Woodie here is the way I understand it. If it does not say Solid Wrought on it either in a straight line or in a circle you got a really old one (pre 1850). If it said solid wrought in a straight line it would be 1850-1860 after that it was in a circle. After 1915 they started marking "England" under the word Patent on them as RegionalChaos said above. Nice old anvil. Edited April 7, 2009 by DKForge added Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Bly Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 If you look at the feet on the front under the horn, are there numbers on each foot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted April 7, 2009 Share Posted April 7, 2009 No serial numbers on a Peter Wright as I recall. Now a Trenton or HB... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Bly Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 My Peter Wright has the number 2 on both feet under the horn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blacksmith Jim Posted April 8, 2009 Share Posted April 8, 2009 Jeff, I think these tend to be a makers mark or an inspectors mark. Not so much serial numbers. But of course I could be wrong. Anvils in America has the most info I know of about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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