I am preparing to purchase this Anvil, and need some help identifying it. It appears to be a Trenton, the left foot has a Z116 and the right foot appears to have A31201. Any idea on the date of manufacture and the current value? I am in Kansas City, MO. From what I have been reading it appears to be a 1901 Trenton, 116 lbs. Thanks

Current value is what you put on it. You only spend what you can afford, not what others can. You can get a new 125# JHM for around $700, so I would not spend more than that on a smaller used one.

Black Frog is the Trenton info guy. He should be along soon.

Older anvils are nice work horses but very overrated in my view. The weight on that anvil is on the lower side and depending on what you want to forge, can be rather small. 

As for value, it depends on the market in your location, more than the brand. Antique value does not apply and older means made with less reliable technology and more likely to fail ... relatively speaking of course. 

Many people forget that there are good quality new anvils, that are fully forged and will outperform any old anvil. The "old is better" was mostly false for most modern anvils and only applies to chinese and poor example of modern eastern europe anvils, but was successfully exploited by those who sell older anvils alluding to antique value or some other mystic, non existing properties that push the prices of older beaten up anvil way beyond the reasonable. 

I wouldn't pay more than $300 for that anvil and I live in a area of very high prices that believes anvils improve with age.

Ok, thanks for the information. I appreciate your help.

 

 

116 pounds +/-, probably made in Columbus OH, USA, and US$2-3 would be a good price. If a sellers asks me to put a price on an anvil I start at US$1 a pound and negotiate up. $1 a pound was a standard price for Decades in the past and every once in a while someone will accept it.

8 hours ago, Douglas Waller said:

I am in Kansas City, MO

Welcome to the forum. To get the best out of it, I suggest you read this.

We won't remember your location once we leave this thread.

 

Thanks for the pictures, AIA indicates 1902 for a year.

Thanks for the confirmation Black Frog.