This is my first real anvil, and I'm so excited. Could someone help me identify the maker of this anvil?  It came from Indiana and it is at least 60 years old according to the man I bought it from, he says it's been around since he was a kid. I cannot seem to find any makers Mark's or any numbers At all.

Nice looking farrier anvil. If you could post some pics of the underside of the base and under the horn we might be able to help.

I'll get out there and take some pictures here soon

 It also did not occur to me to check the bottom of the anvil lol

Also, don't be so quick to assume no maker's mark, especially with an older anvil that shows its mileage. I'd owned my anvil for thirty years before I realized that there was a maker's mark on the side. Try looking at the side from a very low angle, with a single light source at an equally low angle. Who knows what you might find.

Would it be out of line to hit it with a wire wheel? 

15 minutes ago, paradox1559 said:

Would it be out of line to hit it with a wire wheel? 

Not at all. Resist the temptation to take a grinder to the face, though.

Most likely a Trenton, could possibly be A&H.  

Take a closeup pic of the side of the anvil, horn facing right, I think I can see some faint marks in your pic above.  

Also look on the front foot under the horn for serial number.

Also look under the heel; Arm and Hammer anvils are distinctive in that the underside of the heel often shows the steam hammer hammer marks rather than being dressed flat.

Not sure if it's comming through, but it looks like a little arrow, followed by 140 1880 96

Found under the horn

Left hand number is the weight, right hand number is the serial number NOT the date.  Caplet depression is generally a Trenton but can be Arm and Hammer as they sometimes shared basses---both manufacturers were in Columbus OH, USA   Someone collocated with their copy of Anvils in America can give you a date associated with that serial number.

Neat

Thanks for the help everyone, it's always good to know what you have. Is there a way to find its age in the serial number? 

Always read to the end of a post: "Someone collocated with their copy of Anvils in America can give you a date associated with that serial number."

I can see a visit to my local book store in my near future 

Some Arm & Hammers are quite smooth on the underside of the heel.  And some marked Trentons look very choppy under the heel like A&H's.  

 That is a Trenton anvil. Anvils In American lists it as 1924 date.  Can you post a closeup picture of the side of the anvil (horn facing right)?  there may be some faint stamping, that serial number and logo are important to me for the Trenton logo database.  Thanks!

 

Forged Anvils are an excellent example of the variability you can get from open die forging 

I faintly see the lower half of the diamond that the Trenton name is stamped inside of in the 3rd picture. My Trenton was like that with only the upper portion of that diamond showing.