Frank Turley Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I was a neophyte horseshoer in the early 1960's in the Los Angeles area. An ironmonger from San Pedro shipyard was going out of business, and he called my farrier mentor saying that he had an anvil for sale. We drove to the shipyard, and Al, my master, said that he didn't need it, so I jumped on the chance to get it. It was a 158# Hay-Budden clip horn. It was somehow bolted to a cast iron cream-separator stand. Al insisted that we didn't need the stand, so we wrenched it away from the anvil. We loaded the anvil, and as we drove off, Al said that he was looking for a silver dollar that might have been sandwiched between the anvil and stand. He said that some old timey smiths used to place a dollar there when they set up shop. The closest thing I've heard to that, is using a coin in stepping a mast on a newly made sail boat or ship. Anyone ever heerd-tell of placing the silver dollar under the anvil?http://www.turleyforge.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentiron1946 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 No, I never heard of that one but the placing of coins as votive offerings is a fairly common method of placating the various gods or spirits when building something new, starting a new project or a new enterprise. It's like the old penny in the fountain or wishing well thing. When I was a kid in Santa Fe a Mexican friend was a mason and whenever he started a new project he always put a silver coin in with the mortar of the first block he laid for good luck a very ancient practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 I doubt this was done in an industrial setting, but the concept is not very surprising. I have helped step several masts with a coin under the mast, and only a couple without at least a coin being placed at the mast step and picked up afterwards. I also know several people who race dingys that have a coin glued to the hull very close to the mast step. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wesley Chambers Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Done a lot of contract work, every building I frame gets a penny with my birth year wedged between two studs, I do keep a half dollar with the same date on me, never thought to keep it under my anvil, sounds like a good tradition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheftjcook Posted July 28, 2011 Share Posted July 28, 2011 Have heard many stories of Silver dollars in the tenon joints in the old dutch barns. To that effect saw a show on tv were they were reclaiming old barn wood and the boss cut out all the big beam joints with a chain saw and put them in his truck for going over later. He too explained the tradition of some builders placing silver dollars in the joints. I like the idea of the silver coin under the anvil, good tradition! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Haven't heard of it under the anvil, but my house was built in the '50's and the bedroom doors still have coins on the door header trim. I was told to keep out spirits and protect one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbruce Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I used to keep money from my cash jobs under the anvil stand which had a skirt under the base and still does, just pick it all up with the crane and stash........ At one time it amounted to a small fortune, hmm....haven't looked under there in years..... :huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Not coins, but when Yellins' closed on Arch Street a number of smiths, me included, took the scale off of the floor just to have a part of the Yellin energy to take to their shops. A lot of us dug deep to get the oldest we could find. That's why my shop is never totally clean. I'd love to have some of the actual Yellin work, but the scale is all I can afford right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Randy when I visited Spain in the 1970's I took some water from the Tagus River in Toledo to add to my quench tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Dean Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Durrnn Frank, if you have never heerd-tale of it what makes ya think any of us have! You've been at this way longer than anyone here on IFI. And I say that with all RESPECT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
otisdog Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Haven't heard of it under the anvil, but my house was built in the '50's and the bedroom doors still have coins on the door header trim. I was told to keep out spirits and protect one.I used to frame houses, and often the new owner would show up to take a look. If he would bring us a case of cold beer, we'd put a current penny into the header above the front door. Burp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvmikeray Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 Hey and they are never broke doin that :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Gaddis Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 If I was to place a coin from my birth year it would have to come from a coin collector...from waaayyyy baaaacccckkkkkkk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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