Can you identify this Anvil?

[marrt]

My father gave me this Anvil.  Mousehole?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[101 H-B]

Great truly early Colonial anvil, great condition, congrats and thanks for the post. Unlikely it is a Mouse Hole, they put the weight numbers on the same side with the name, horn to the right. The stocky proportions and small horn indicate very late 1700's to early 1800's.

 

The best I can figure, the 'top' 2 words were stamped upside down in error above WARRANTED. Looking at those words that way, the EPH is probably JOSEPH, and the longer word starts with a 'W', but the rest of it is a challenge. The only Old English or Colonial name that starts with Joseph W.., in Postman's AIA, is a JOSEPH WILINSON, which doesn't look to exactly match, nor does it look to be WILKINSON.

 

We've seen that *asterisk on English anvils before, but I'm not aware of it being exclusive to one maker. Here it's used as a demarcation between the hundredweight numbers, as well as some purpose on the front foot. You probably figured out the pritchel was drilled by a later owner, being on the wrong side.

 

Not a straightforward answer, but trying to help. Maybe it will lead to other clues. Good luck!

[JHCC]

Mouseholes tend to have a ridge running down the underside of the horn as well.

[Kevin A King]

I'm going on memory here so correct me if I'm wrong.  I remember Postman saying in AIA that "If the anvil has a factory Pritchell hole, it is likely produced after 1830".

All the best.

 

Kevin 

[JHCC]

On 8/17/2013 at 7:35 PM, 101 H-B said:

You probably figured out the pritchel was drilled by a later owner, being on the wrong side.

 

23 minutes ago, Kevin A King said:

I'm going on memory here so correct me if I'm wrong.  I remember Postman saying in AIA that "If the anvil has a factory Pritchell hole, it is likely produced after 1830".

Not sure what 101 H-B means by "on the wrong side", as the pritchell seems to me to be in very much the usual spot, if slightly closer to the hardy hole than many. 

The real indicator of whether or not the pritchell hole is factory or not is the presence or absence of a bulge on the underside of the tail, centered on the pritchell. If the metal bulges out, it's a sign that the hole was punched hot in the factory. If it doesn't, it was drilled later.

It's hard to tell from the photo, but it looks to me like there is a bulge there. If so (and in keeping with Postman), that would put this anvil at the tail end of that production window.