unidentified 24lb very old anvil

[TheEthan]

Hi, I’m new here.
 

I recently purchased the anvil I have attached pictures of. I have no idea of the age, country of origin, or method of manufacture. Why do some older anvils have a flat featureless back? Also, it has some sort of pillar running down the front, under the apron. Is this a fifth foot? or does it serve some other purpose? Looking forward to hear what you know. 
 

 

[ThomasPowers]

Knowing where it was bought can help a lot:  if you are in Detroit and buy a used car, is it more likely to be a Ford or a Russian Lada?

24# is very small for forging; but it's a neat display piece.  Is it cast iron?

I haven't seen many old anvils with a flat featureless other side; of course I've only been looking about 39 years in the USA and several other countries.  That one looks to be cast to me and that's how they made the mold.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

7 hours ago, TheEthan said:

I’m new here.

Welcome aboard. I suggest reading this to get the best out of the forum.   READ THIS FIRST   It is full of good tips like editing your profile to show your location because so many answers require knowing where in the world you are located. Many other tips some will help in staying under the moderators radar.

[TheEthan]

16 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

Knowing where it was bought can help a lot:  if you are in Detroit and buy a used car, is it more likely to be a Ford or a Russian Lada?

I’m located in Brisbane Australia, But I purchased if from a seller in Texas, who purchased it from Germany. 

The seller didn’t show any pictures of the ends or bottom (which may have holding holes), so I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to wait until I receive it. Might take a while with Coronavirus and everything.

Here is some pictures of another anvil I found on Instagram, which seems to show similar design features. It looks like my anvil once had a horn On the back like this one.

id be interested to see if someone else had a similar anvil, or a larger version perhaps.