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Old anvil?


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Newbie here looking for any info about my newly acquired anvil. Maker? Age? Collectible value? Should I get the damage fixed? Very interested to hear your responses!

It weighs in at just under 200 lbs., height 12", length 24", width (top) 4 1/2", the face is 15 1/2" L, table is 2 1/4" x 4", horn is 6 1/2" but probably 1" to 1 1/2" has been blunted, waist is 9", the base or feet is 12 1/2" x 10 1/2". It has a hole in the bottom that goes 8 1/2" up towards the face. It appears that the hardened steel surface goes the length of the top and continues out to end of the horn. Only mark on it is a raised 5-pointed star on one side. Hardy hole is 1" x 1", pritchel hole is 1/2". Damage includes a chunk missing from one side of the face, curious drill holes in the side of the face and the blunted horn. Looks quite primitive.  Appears to be an old-style shaped anvil? Thanks for any help you can provide. Mert.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Looks like an American Star. Someone with a copy of Richard Postman's Anvils in America could probably help with more details. 

Value is what someone will pay for it. That can vary, depending on where you are. 

"Fixing" the damage will probably reduce its value, both for use and as a collectible. 

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American Star anvils were only made for a short period of time in the 1800's. They are constructed like the Fisher anvils with a steel top plate on a cast iron body. 

It wouldn't really be advisable to try to fix the top but they are good anvils and yours should work quite well as is.

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A lot of your questions have a location factor in them; shoot the price of an anvil can vary by 50% just here in the USA not to mention the 100+ other countries that participate here on the World Wide Web.  So is it on Pitcairn Island or Poughkeepsie, Hungary or South Africa???

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American Star anvils were made in Trenton, NJ, from about 1852 to 1868.  They only lasted 14 years!  The foundry was started by a couple of former employees of Fisher.  Mark Fisher actually sued them for patent infringement but lost because Star did enough things differently.  

These anvils tend to be on the brittle side.  Do not drop it!  Here at the Fisher & Norris Factory Museum, we have about 25 of this brand anvil, and about 6 of them have broken parts.

Do do any repairs to it.  Either use as is, or just preserve it for what it is, a chapter in American Anvil History.

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Thank-You to everyone that has responded. Njanvilman thanks for the historic background information. Some day I would love to see your collection! The reasoning for my specific questions is to possibly determine the monetary value and the historic value. This anvil was recently given to me by an elderly man here in southern NH. It has been in his family a very long time and when he learned that I was collecting the tools needed to begin learning blacksmithing he offered it to me. I need an anvil to use and if this one has historic or $ value I will offer it back to him. I would rather spend money for a more common anvil that way if I damage it I haven't  ruined a piece of history. If it is one of the less common ones and he insists I keep it, I won't pound on it. I'll dislpay it  in my house. I have great respect for craftsmen of olden times and the tools they utilized.

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