152lbs. $200Cdn

serial number 56456 or 66456

would love to learn when it was made

here are the markings

A bit about me: I'm newly retired, living north of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.

No blacksmithing/forging knowledge, skills, or experience.

But I have an interest in learning, and now I have an anvil.  

Welcome to the forum. Im sure there is a group in your area that you could get with for an introductory experience. 

Looks like S/N is 56456 which would have been made in 1905. It appears to be in excellent condition and ready to be put to use!

Thanks very much! 

I've read that some Trentons were imported from Germany?, and some made in Columbus Ohio. Is this so? How can one tell?

 

Here's a pic of the underside.

According to Anvils in America (Postman, 1998), early Trenton anvils were most likely imported from Europe. Postman suggests that these anvils could have been produced by German or English makers. I would agree as I have owned two early Trenton anvils and they were different. One of them had all of the characteristics of a Peter Wright, except for the name and and stamped stone weight. The other did not, it was almost more generic and plain. I recommend that you pick up a copy of the Postman book as it is wonderful. The book will explain the manufacturing process of the domestic Trentons and several other popular anvils. The book will also clear up most of your other questions related to your anvil.

 

Thanks. From my limited reading, it certainly sounds like Anvils in America is THE book to get.

Any other must have books? 

AIA is a good book IF you're interested in learning about anvils. That's not a bad thing but my personal preference is learning how to use the things. There is a sub section on Iforge about books, good bad and popular. I like "The complete Modern Blacksmith" by Alexander Wygers. "The New Edge of the Anvil" Jack Andrews (?)

Oh DRATS I'm blanking. Combining CRS and a TBI sure cleared up a lot of space I was wasting on memory.

Frosty The Lucky.

So true. Thanks!

 

(What's CRS and TBI?)

can't remember "stuff"   and traumatic brain injury.

 Frosty has a great excuse for getting things mixed up; the rest of us just rely on the old standards "old age" and a well misspent youth!  (Some of out brain cells did survive the extreme culling we put them through...)

I also recently acquired a Trenton. I'm no expert but I think mine is of European decent, as from what I can tell mine does not have the same hourglass shape in the bottom. Pics below. 

Bayshore, yes your Trenton is from Germany.  It was forged in multiple pieces, if you look at the lines on the underside of the base you can see the core block where the feet were forge welded on.  Cool stuff!