Anvil Age

[secrest6]

Anyone that could help would be great.

My dad (83 years old) is cleaning out his shop of many years because of moving and down sizing. Of his many tools is an anvil. I have learned it's been in the family for many years. It was one of his uncles.

Anyway, when he asked a local consignment auctioneer about selling it, the auctioneer told him he might want to research it.

To the point, after digging through many posts, and some time with a wire brush, we have learned it is a Trenton anvil. We found the diamond logo and its tagged USA 140 below the logo.

On the 'front' foot, we found a T on one leg and A466 on the other.

We would like to learn when (ballpark) it was manufactured as well as a ROUGH value. My finding would indicate between 1898 and 1900 for manufactured date. The anvil is does NOT have any cracks or chips. The edges are relatively sharp.

Thanks in advance for the help! I may have to keep this if try to learn how it came into the family.

[DanielC]

Pictures speak a thousand words!

[AJAX]

I am not an expert, but some of these guys on this website are and they would all tell you the same thing: keep it. Don't ever get rid of it, it will only go up in value and it is especially interesting because it has been in the family.

[Thomas Dean]

Pictures do help! Your location will also determine a lot on how much the anvil will bring. If My Dad was cleaning our to downsize and we 'found' an anvil you can bet your sweet bippy it would NOT go up for sale at an auction. Mainly because it is subject to end up in someone's yard with a pot plant on it or in a 'collection' gathering dust. I would sale it to someone that would put it back to use...and have done so with several anvils I've had in the past...all going to newbies just starting out in the trade/craft/art.

[PaulKrzysz]

Another reason you might want to avoid an auction would be that after the fees and such you will make more selling it locally. Minimum you can axpect if it is in decent condition is 2/lb, but it all depends so add pictures and some of the other guy can help you.
Selling locally is a good option, try craigslist.

[secrest6]

Thanks for all of the feedback!

Attached are pictures as EVERYONE has requested!

At this point, I'm MOST interested in the age! Learning the value would be great, but as my dad and I talked today, it sounds like this has been in the family since it was new. We can trace it back two generations before my dad -- and as I mentioned in my original post, he's 83!

This has come a long ways from my dad just wondering what it might be worth because of what an auctioneer told him. It's nice to know that some folks don't do everything just for the money!

[Fatfudd]

You have an interesting anvil and I'm afraid we need one or two more pictures. One of the top to show its condition would help and if you could turn it over so we could see
the underside of the base that would help too.
It may have been made in the first year of production of the American made Trenton anvils 1898.
A VERY important aspect of its value is predicated on where you live. In some areas you will be lucky to get $2/lb and probably less at auction, whereas
in other areas $5/lb is not unusual.

[ThomasPowers]

If you are in the United States you could probably advertise it with a local blacksmithing club for a decent price and know that you were helping another smith and the anvil would be used for what it was made for!

However, once it's gone; it's gone! Any possibility of a grand child or great grand child who might take up the craft in the future? It's in good condition and a very nice size for a hobby shop.

Note most smiths don't give a hoot about age or "rarity" but consider condition and usability as the key factors as we are *using* *them* not collecting them. There are collectors out there who do care though.

[101 H-B]

Hello, according to Richard Postman's Anvils in America, your dad's anvil was made in 1898 by the Columbus Forge and Iron Co., Columbus, OH, maker of Trenton anvils. The very low serial number indicates it was made the first year they made anvils, in fact in the first few months.Trenton anvils were previously made with the Trenton diamond logo in Germany, so during the first few years, they marked them USA. You will also find "Solid Wrot" above the diamond logo.

Trenton's made in the USA are known to be forged top 1/2 and a cast base. However, yours is one of the rarer ones made with a forged base, which apparently they did at the beginning, or perhaps if the right size cast base wasn't available to fill an order. I've had some like this also with low serial numbers. Mr. Postman's interviews of a former CFI employees states the anvil maker put his initial on the left away from the serial number, there was an anvil maker named Taylor. The A before the serial number may simply mean anvil.

It's an interesting read in Richard's book if you can get hold of a copy, pg. 323-390, one of the most extensive sections of the book. Enjoy your dad's anvil, it would bring $400-600 at auction in my area, but if you have an interest in it, you may be glad you kept it, at least for some number of years.

[Fatfudd]

"Trenton's made in the USA are known to be forged top 1/2 and a cast base. However, yours is one of the rarer ones made with a forged base, which apparently they did at the beginning, or perhaps if the right size cast base wasn't available to fill an order. I've had some like this also with low serial numbers".


To be a little more accurate, Trenton anvils were initially made with a forged base as your's was They then applied for a patent (December 1898) to incorporate a cast base and still made a 3 piece anvil.That is the base was cast and the middle section of the anvil was wrought iron and the top was tool steel. In 1927, at about the time Hay Budden was folding, Trenton went to a 2 piece anvil with a cast base and a tool steel top half.

I have had a Trenton 3 piece anvil made in around 1918 which was truly outstanding and I regret ever selling it but hard times dictate what is sometimes necessary.

As I said earlier, it is an interesting anvil and its value would be dictated by its value to collectors, because of its rarity or its value for utilitarian purposes for a smith because of its condition..