Any help with the markings on this anvil would be much appreciated. Is it possible to determine the age of the anvil from the marks on the front? It has the numbers 15136 with another mark on the left of them that looks somewhat like a 1. On the other side 07 is stamped, would that be the year manufactured (1907)? Under the horn on the front is another symbol. I'm including pictures. Thanks for the help, Alan.

Actually the number on the front of the foot is the serial number and the book Anvils in America by by Richard Postman indicates that the serial number 15136 was manufactured in 1894. However, it looks like there is another number stamped before it. It also looks like your anvil is a later style that was manufactured after 1908 so that would put it in the serial number range of approximately 150,000 and greater.

The '4' stamped under the horn is believed to be an inspector's mark and the '07' stamped on the side are believed to be be a steel heat number.

What appears to be a '110' stamped on the side below the Hay Budden stamp would be the weight of the anvil in pounds.

Actually the number on the front of the foot is the serial number and the book Anvils in America by by Richard Postman indicates that the serial number 15136 was manufactured in 1894. However, it looks like there is another number stamped before it. It also looks like your anvil is a later style that was manufactured after 1908 so that would put it in the serial number range of approximately 150,000 and greater.

The '4' stamped under the horn is believed to be an inspector's mark and the '07' stamped on the side are believed to be be a steel heat number.

What appears to be a '110' stamped on the side below the Hay Budden stamp would be the weight of the anvil in pounds.

Thanks, Sask Mark, I wasn't even able to see the 110 you refer to, I'll take a closer look.

"Anvils in America" by Richard Postman, pg 303. Your anvil was born in 1919. Nice anvil

"Anvils in America" by Richard Postman, pg 303. Your anvil was born in 1919. Nice anvil

Thanks for the info, it is nice and I got it for $125.

Yes the original attempt at dating didn't take in account that the leading "A" went to a different set of serial number dates than just the plain numbers would.

Great anvil and a very good price. I love my HB's thick hard face---it was finely pitted due to condensation rusting, (stored in a damp location in OH for 50 years or more) and have just been letting working on it polish it out slowly. Scale is an abrasive compound!

Yes the original attempt at dating didn't take in account that the leading "A" went to a different set of serial number dates than just the plain numbers would.

Great anvil and a very good price. I love my HB's thick hard face---it was finely pitted due to condensation rusting, (stored in a damp location in OH for 50 years or more) and have just been letting working on it polish it out slowly. Scale is an abrasive compound!

Thank you, now that I look at the numbers again, it is an A at the start. Here in low humidity Utah we don't have much of a problem with condensation rusting.