I just got a anvil for decent price from a friend, but i know nothing about it. It looks like it has been broke in half and that the edges have been reenforced? There is a serial number on it A 108327 on the right side of the foot and 144 on the left side under the horn. There is what looks like a stamp on the side but its really faded and covered by a weld. Im curious who made this anvil and when? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Shon

 

Greetings Shon,

 

That's a Trenton...  It has what they call a belt line weld where you think it looks broke...  The whole top half of the anvil is tool steel..  The edges have been welded...  You can tell by there is no evidence of a top plate....  Still a great anvil 

 

Jim

Welcome aboard Shon, glad to have you. Good looking Trenton, she'll serve you for a couple generations I'm sure.

 

Frosty The Lucky.

A lot of anvils were forge welded at the waist and in later years some were even arc welded!

 

Use it and don't worry about it!

Like was mentioned above, this appears to be a 144lb Trenton. This anvil (serial #108327) would have been produced in 1912.  As for the letter A prefix on the serial number, Postman notes in his book Anvils in America that "The A disappears after 1912 or 1913".  So yours is proabably among the last of the Trentons to use the A prefix on the serial number.

Thanks everyone for the help. Its really cool to have a piece of history like this.

 

Shon