Another Anvil ID

[Zwalla]

All I know about this anvil is that it belonged to at least my great-great grandfather, he may have inherited it from his father, and it's 135lbs (weighed this morning).  I apologize in advance for the crappy phone pics, I forgot to take my camera with me.

 

The whole anvil:

 

 I believes the writing on this side of the anvil says:

"WILLIAM

POSTE (HOSTE?  ROSTE?)

WARRANTE

1852

JP"

 

"1  0  22" is on the opposite side of the anvil.

 

Now here are some pictures of different parts of the anvil...

 

 

So, what do you all think of the general condition?  Is it still usable?  

I appreciate any information you can give me!

 

Zack

[VaughnT]

That is a very nice anvil!  Reminds me of a Mousehole with the thick waist and short heel.

 

That it is so well-maintained is amazing.  Usually, the horn and cutting table are really worked over!

 

Is it still usable?  Absolutely.  If you're careful, you might be lucky to get another two hundred years out of it.

 

Value?  To me, it's a priceless family heirloom.

[Sask Mark]

It's probably a William Foster.

[C.D. Mitchell]

At first glance I would have said Mousehole, but the writing on the side obviously proves otherwise.  It's probably a smaller, less common manufacturer that someone with a copy of Anvils in America could give you some info on.  The numbers on the other side represent the weight of the anvil in the English hundredweight system.  1 = 1 hundredweight, which is 112 lbs  0 = 0 quarter-hundredweight, which is 28 lbs, and 22 = an additional 22 pounds.  So on your anvil that would be 112+0+22= 134 pounds as it came from the factory.

 

As far as usability, that anvil has a lot of life left in it.  And as was said previously, you can't put a price on a family heirloom like that.  Just think about all the work that has been done on that anvil throughout the generations of your family.  Then think about how you could had to that history and have something to pass down to your kids one day.  Pretty cool stuff!

[Zwalla]

I think it is almost certainly a William Foster after a quick google.  What I thought was:

 

"WILLIAM

POSTE

WARRANTE

1852

JP"

 

Is actually:

 

"WILLIAM

FOSTER

WARRANTED

1852

JP"

 

They were known for the crowns around the writing it and their date-stamping.  I certainly don't plan on selling it, but just for curiosity's sake, would any of you know a normal/average price for something like this?  Thanks!

[pkrankow]

Very nice.  Good usable condition. 

 

Since you are not selling it matters little.  Compare to new anvils of similar weights if you want to list it for insurance.

 

Price varies by geography.  In an anvil rich location, like Ohio, $2/lb since it is not perfect.  In Alaska that might go for more than a new anvil would cost to have purchased and shipped in.

 

Phil

[ThomasPowers]

William Foster is one of the few brands that regularly date stamped their anvils.

As to looking like a Mouseholes *DOZENS* of anvil makers learned their craft working at the Mousehole forge and then broke away and set up their own business and guess what, they made anvils that looked a whole lot like what they learned to make anvils on!

My very very abused William Foster is dated 1828 and requires a new face and heel. Postman suggested I weld the new face to a layer of wrought iron and then do a wrought iron to wrought iron weld as the wrought iron that WF used is rather a coarse grade. Now to get a team of crazy smiths together!