DGrantham2012 Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 I have recently acquired an estimated 400 lb. Trenton anvil. It has the no. 377 stamped on it. Can anyone comment on value or information? Is this a weight marking? Or model number of anvil? Thank you, Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 7, 2013 Share Posted October 7, 2013 WHERE is the 377 stamped on it? Trenton's would be weight stamped in pounds. Also what does any depression on the underside of the base of the anvil look like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGrantham2012 Posted October 7, 2013 Author Share Posted October 7, 2013 Its stamped 377 3" from bottom of anvil. about 9" down from Trenton logo. I cannot move this on my own to see underneath. There is a square 1 1/2x 1 1/2" hole directly in middle of bottom. Anvil is 32" long, 16" tall and 5" wide at top. Base is 12 1/2" wide I will post some photos soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 The dimensions you give certainly puts it in the 300# range. Trenton's are generally very thin in the waist and heel, but you don't get a 5" wide face on a 32" OAL anvil without adding some poundage. I could very easily see it weighing over 250#. The numbers stamped below the logo are usually the weight, but they are often obscured by rust and other damage. According to one theory (length x height - 110lbs) the anvil should weigh around 400#. The measurements you've cited are similar to my Fisher anvil which is @ 350#, but Trenton anvils also had much less meat in the heel and waist - and that depends on whether or not the numbers given are accurate. A "7" could be a "9" or a "2" depending on the rust, punch marks and a dozen other factors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I have a 410# trenton. I put a piece of 3/4 stock in the hardy and can tip it onto the heel with no problem---of course it's on an8' long timber balk and so no danger of falling off when I do so. Besides the handling hole there should be a depression in the base Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGrantham2012 Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 Thank you all for information. I plan on selling this anvil via Ebay. Is there a realistic price a Blacksmith or collector might be willing to pay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Fairly early Trenton to have the weight on the side and not stamped on the foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcusb Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I have a late style trenton, 5" wide 36" long weighs 308 pounds With those measurements, 400 would be a pretty big stretch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Price depends a lot on LOCATION---unless you are offering free shipping including inter continental! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3DistinctKnocks Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Its probably not worth a dime...I'll be a nice guy and take it off your hands for free. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old N Rusty Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 I bid $1.00, you pay shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Location, quality, cleanliness... even the quality of the photography will make a huge difference. Generally, my observation is that large anvils don't command a premium price unless there are smiths nearby that can drive over to pick it up. A new/hobby smith isn't going to want to spend $2 a pound on an anvil that large because it represents a huge investment in what is, to them, just something they're playing at. Add in the cost of shipping, and the initial cash outlay could be significant. When I bought my large Fisher on ebay, it sold for less than $2/pound and I was able to get it shipped for a low enough price that the total cost to me was just over $2/pound. That was a moderate price, neither a great deal nor a poor one, but worth it to me only because large Fisher anvils just aren't seen around my neck of the woods. Had the price been higher, though, I would never have placed a bid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 You might want to do some investigation of what anvils have sold for on Ebay. Within the past few days Matchless antiques (probably the most respected seller of anvils/blacksmithing equipment) was not able to get his reserve price on a 248lb anvil. The auction got to $837 before it ended with no sale. There was also a 450lb Hay budden with a starting price of $2750 that received no bids. VaughnT is giving you the best advice and I would only add a little more. If you putin your location there is a chance that one of the smiths on this website would be interested in buying your anvil. I have been looking for a larger anvil than my 250lb one for some time. Posting some pictures would also help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Selling an anvil is like selling a car: folks will want to know make, model, how many miles on it, any damage to it, where it's at, etc. As for prices that's a large anvil but not huge, prices would probably range from US$2 a pound to US $6 a pound with the upper limit for MINT CONDITION Anvils located in an anvil poor region with a collector who believes the sky will fall if they don't get that anvil. If it has significant damage it could go even as low as scrap rate and remember you may not be a good judge of condition if you have no blacksmithing experience. (I once bought an anvil from 1828 for less than scrap rate at a fleamarket! Severely damaged, missing the heel and 90% of the face; paid $5 for it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloe01 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 My 400 pounder Trenton has a 5 3/4" x 24" face and a 15" horn (39" long) it is 16" tall and had a 13" x 16" base. it has a 1 1/2" hardie hole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Turley Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I have two nonidentical twin Trentons, each weighing 250 pounds. The length dimension between them is slightly different which is to be expected on forged pieces. They compare as follows. Length 31 1/4" 32 1/2" Height 13 1/2" 13 1/2" Face 4 1/2" 4 1/2" Base 13 3/4" 13 3/4" [width as viewed from the side] Sayings and Cornpone Crane's Law. "There is no such thing as a free lunch." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 lloe01; where does the cutting plate go in those dimensions? I'm from NW AR myself though in exile near TX right now; still have family land in Cedarville, up 59 from Van Buren... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lloe01 Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I figured the table as part of the horn. Is that what you call the cutting plate? It is 3" x 5". So the horn is actually a little over 12" I was born in Camden, AR. Left AR when I Joined the USAF. Retired after 20 years. My mom died so I moved back to AR to help my Dad. Now I run the network for the AR legislators. I practice blacksmithing to get away from the Virtual world :) Larry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Now its listed on Ebay if you want to see pictures of it. I'm no expert on Trentons but it looks like a Boker Trenton with the flats on the feet. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Huge-Antique-400430-lb-Trenton-AnvilNice-/171147117231 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatfudd Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 According to Postman, he believes that some of the early Trentons with flat areas on the feet were actually made by Peter Wright. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaughnT Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 The 377 should be the weight in pounds. Truck scales are not accurate to the pound. In the Cleveland area? That's not a bad area as far as the number of smiths goes, and you sure did a good job of cleaning her up for the photo shoot! That's a very good quality of anvil after all these years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Frog Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 Just wonder how bad that hardy is wedged in there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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