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I Forge Iron

Iron cross stamps on a PW.


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I’ve seen some a few posts mentioning two anchor stamps on the front of some Peter Wright anvils, and that Postman believes they may have possibly been some sort of inspectors mark.  I've seen all sorts of numbers and letters stamped in to PW's before as marks.
Here’s one thread with a few pictures of the anchor stamped PW:

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But I’ve never seen anyone mentioning two iron cross stamps on the front feet of a PW anvil. This was from an “ENGLAND” stamped PW, so around or after the 1910 ballpark timeframe…..
Anyone else have the iron cross stamp on their PW?

PW157-5.jpg

Incidentally, this PW also has the mysterious “X” stamp on the bottom side of the anvil…….  That's a big stamp (maybe 2" square), and deep. 

This is the second one I've run across, and after asking here on the forum last year there were a couple other owners who had the same stamp on the underside.

One person reported having a similarly sized "O" stamp on the bottom of their PW anvil.   I'd love to know what the X and O meant.....  besides playing tic-tac-toe.  ;)

That would be a huge stamp for a simple inspector's mark.  Guessing done while very hot to get a stamp that deep with that much surface area.

I've looked at many PW's since last year, and haven't seen any bottom-side stamps on any until this one.

PW157-4.jpg

 

For comparison, here's the underside X stamp from last year:

PW77-4.jpg

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Black frog,

 

I have seen this exact style stamp before.

 

The American Bureau of Shipping aka ABS uses the Maltese cross symbol as their chop (stamp) on inspected items. In most cases its a pressure vessel of some sort but it may have been used on other equipage as well.  Modern day vessels don't usually come with an anvil or a forge set up but many older vessels did. Perhaps in the "old days" PW had their anvils certified by the ABS or some other regulatory group that used the Maltese chop.

 

Peter

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The ABS is an American organization, and PW's originated in England so I'm doubting is was an incoming American stamp?

I believe the Matlese cross and Iron cross are a bit different. Usually the Maltese Cross does not have the flats on the ends of each arm, but more of a centered triangular indent. The Iron Cross is more like the stamp pictured, with flats on the end of each arm. But the names get used interchangeably.

I realize that is nitpicking the differences in cross design, but that general cross design has been around for centuries and used by many groups. Very well is an inspection mark just like the anchor stamp in the thread linked to above, just that I haven't seen this before and wondering if people have PW's with the same stamp.

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There are a number of widely used Maltese cross patterns, I don't think exactly which is used means all that much. Of course I could be wrong, I don't know a BUNCH.

 

I used to have a nice "surplus store" black and chrome Maltese cross pin on a hat. A friend's father gave me a pretty hard time for wearing a "swastika." He couldn't get his head around it being a US Marine Corps, marksman's medal until I found and showed him the "book." My friend was pretty embarrassed his Dad didn't know a swastika from an iron or Maltese cross.

 

That was the same hat I had my Father's cavalry cross sabre pin on. Kills me I lost the hat when I moved to Alaska. <sigh>

 

Frosty The Lucky.

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There is an anchor stamp on the left foot of my Peter Wright too. Probably marked for the same unknown reason as all the other ones.

 

Although, my anvil did at one time belong to Anchor Glass in Elmira NY.

 

The anvil is also marked "Made in England". Its stamped well below the trademark, sideways between the two front feet. 

 

I have often wondered about these mysterious symbols found on anvils. Hopefully someone can identify their purpose.

 

Dan

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