Scored this Trenton "German forged" anvil today at a yard sale for $40. Just curious on dating/forger info if anyone knows...and why does it have that weird shoehorn looking stub coming off the horn? What was its use?!

The bottom is flat(ish) with only a handling hole, and there are no serial numbers to be found so far

That’s a farrier pattern anvil. The little nub is used for drawing clips on a horse shoe. Pretty neat find. 

German Trenton anvils were imported for 15-20 years before 1898.  They don't have a serial number and the weight is stamped between legs on the same side as the Trenton mark.  Some American made ones were first made with the steps on the feet like the German ones.  This is an opinion of mine, but I believe the ones stamped "Germany" were not as old as the ones lacking the Germany stamp.

Clean it up with a wire cup brush on an angle grinder, wash it with soap & water, dry it really well, then oil it.  You should be able to find the weight as you clean it up.  Try not to hit the area with that large chip.  Use the anvil for a while before you redress the side where the chip is to see what if anything needs to be done.  I've been using my German Trenton for 2 years an am now just thinking about dressing the edges........probably won't, but I'm just saying it takes some use before you know what needs to be addressed and what should be left alone.  Don't grind the face (top).  For $40 you got a super smoking deal!  

Makes me wonder if the German Trenton's had a flaw in them.  I see a lot of them really chipped in the same place.  Here's what a smith long, long ago did to mine to remedy the problem or as a modification for some kind of work they were doing.  Notice where the weight is stamped.  Yours should be stamped in the same place.

 

Anvils used for shoeing OFTEN have damage in that area no matter what the brand.  I've seen a Vulcan that was pretty much a ridgeback just there. (also HB, PW, Trenton, A&H,...) It's a function of the work, not the anvil's brand.

I’m surprised the edges of the heel aren’t more worn. Most farrier anvils I see have lots of wear around that area.i know a few guys that would love to have that anvil. 

That's interesting to know TP.  What forging methods cause that in the shoe making process? 

Damage and modification in all, I really love my Trenton.  90 - 95 % rebound with 80 % at the heel.  Mine has many more smiths that will use it after me I believe.  

You'd have to ask some farriers.  I just have run into a bunch of anvils used by farriers with such damage.  In more modern times I'd guess working shoes cold. In olden times I'd guess working draft horse shoes.  CRS can you enlighten us?

Among other things marking shoes cold with a sharp corner instead of an anvil devil, hardy or center punch.

Cold shoeing can be hard on equipment.

George

my HB anvil has similar damage only the edges were chipped instead of rolled over. cold shoeing (at least IMO) can be fairly hard on an anvil over the years. this is the picture of mine when i first brought it home. the top  is a little more polished now  

 

Nice one, I like it.

Is also the fact that years ago hardening and tempering were very difficult to get right on an anvil. When hardening under waterfalls and such the thinner corners would get hard and brittle while the inner body would stay softer by holding heat a lot longer.

There'd be no way to tell when it left the factory but after some use the brittle edges would start to chip. It wasn't always necessarily operator error but was best one could expect from those old manufacturing methods.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with new made modern anvils. Folks who think they need something a century or more old need to understand that those chipping problems come with them.

That's interesting George.  Makes sense and I hadn't thought about the edges possibly getting more brittle due to the water gushing like that.  I learn something new everyday here.