Is this an American Star anvil?

[Zpyke]

I got an anvil from a local scrap yard today that I think is an American Star Anvil (1850-1860). It has a five pointed star on the side of the body and has an oval cavity on the bottom. It has a steel face and either a cast or wrought body. I think it is wrought since the body pings. The only markings on it are the five point star. The handling hole in front is square and the one in back is round. It has no table on the horn which makes me question if its an American star since all the other American Star anvils that I've seen have a table on the horn. Can anyone help me confirm that it is an American Star? Also what would be it's value?

 

Dimensions:
Height: 11 1/2"
Face: 14" x 4 1/4"
Horn: currently 6" but missing tip
Hardy hole: 1 1/4"
Pritchel hole: 1/2"
Star: 3" wide, 2 1/2" tall
Oval Cavity on bottom: 2 1/2" x 1 3/4" x 8 3/4" deep
Notched rear foot: 1 3/4"
Waist: 8 3/4"
weight: 100+ pounds
Rebound: 60%-90%

[George Geist]

I believe it is. That make had a cylindrical hole going up through it supposedly to make it easier to temper. I'd suppose there is some validity to that as anvils made that way you don't see chipped edges on them as much as you do solid ones. MFC anvils boast doing it for that reason today but don't mention that American Star had that idea about 150 or so years before they did. That hole also gives it some harmonics and makes it a real ringer. Value? Depends. Whatever one is willing to pay like anything else but absent that whatever the price of scrap iron per pound right now is at least a bottom line.

George

[njanvilman]

Yes, it is a Star anvil made in Trenton from about 1856 to the late 1860's.  The oval hole was Star's idea.  It was from a core that was used during casting.  It was thought that it would take some of the cooling stresses out of the iron during cooling.  They were cast in a somewhat similar way as Fisher anvils.  Not suprising, since the owner worked for Fisher for a year, then went off to start his own foundry.

 

The end of the horn is broken off probably from abuse or striking the end of the horn on a very cold day.

 

Some anvils had the cutting table, some did not.

 

Value?  Whatever someone is willing to pay for a broken anvil.  Not worth as much as if it was complete. 

 

Want to see more:  I have 20 Star anvils in my museum.  They are rare, but seem to turn up in NJ regularly.

[Don A]

As an ignorant newbie, I bought one of those at a flea market to be my first bona-fide anvil. The guy said it had real good rebound. <_<

 

I later figured out that the odd 1" strip of steel on the top was actually all that was left of the face.

 

I ended up selling it to an antique dealer to use as a door-stop (I was honest about the missing face).

 

The face on that one looks pretty good. Still some use in it, for sure.

[njanvilman]

As an ignorant newbie, I bought one of those at a flea market to be my first bona-fide anvil. The guy said it had real good rebound. <_<

 

I later figured out that the odd 1" strip of steel on the top was actually all that was left of the face.

 

I ended up selling it to an antique dealer to use as a door-stop (I was honest about the missing face).

 

The face on that one looks pretty good. Still some use in it, for sure.

 

All of my Star anvils except one still have good face steel on them.  They seem to hold up as well as the very early Fishers.  The one unknown is a Star anvil that had a steel plate welded over the original face.  It will be a winter project to mill off the added steel plate and see what is underneath.

[Zpyke]

Thank you for the replys. The anvil definitely has life left in it. It's actually in very good shape except for the broken horn. Either way I got it for free so it's a great deal.