Glenn Howard Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 I have my Great grandfathers Anvil. The S/N is hard to decipher. As best as I can tell it is NRCLCST. I can try to send a photo of the letters and numbers. It is a 144 lb Trenton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 Ah; the serial number will be a number; mayhap with a leading A. A picture of the front foot and the base as well as the side would help. Note that most folks have to downsize their pictures to get this site to accept them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Howard Posted July 27, 2020 Author Share Posted July 27, 2020 I have my Greatgrandfathers Anvil. It’s a Trenton 144 lb. I can’t decipher the serial number as some of the letters/numbers are not familiar. Can anyone figure these out and let me know the approximate date it was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 Solid Wrought referring to the body of the anvil being made of all wrought iron. NOT A SERIAL NUMBER! The serial number is located on the front side of the foot underneath the anvil's horn and it would be NUMBERS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Howard Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Thanks Thomas, I looked there and there are no numbers or markings. On the base below solid wrought is 144, I assume that’s the weight. On the rear right side foot there is a number 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Welcome aboard... I always suggest reading the Read This First thread located up in the blue banner. It is full of tips on getting the best out of the forum, like editing your profile to show location as so many answers depend on knowing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Indentation in the base? Hourglass is earlier than caplet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Howard Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Thomas, Want you to know that this anvil is a family airloom, my ansestors were blacksmiths all the way back in to the 1750’s. I have no intentions on parting with it, just wanted to get an idea how old it is. It was given to me by my dad and only was told it was his grand fathers who was a traveling blacksmith. He did have a shop in Jewett, NY in the 1880’s. I can not find any of the markings you describe. Here are some more pictures. If I am being a pest let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Ok; you can see the remnants of the hourglass and the thick front of the foot, not stamped on the front of the foot either. Will take some AinA time but it's one of the earlier Trentons. Perhaps one to the anvil experts can weigh in? BlackFrog?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Howard Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Thanks for your help Thomas. For your enjoyment here is a picture of my 3 times great uncle Jonathan Howard in the 1880’s at his shop in Lexington, NY. He is standing with his family to the left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Looks like he is ready to hammer that young one. I don't know if we have any pictures of my Great Grandfather; the smith in a small rural hill town in AR. Times were hard. He ended up with over 900 acres of land which I expect he took in trade for smithing work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Howard Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 Thanks again, looking forward to hearing more from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Hammer Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 Looks like an early German Trenton. They have the feet on the bottom like a Peter Wright and no serial number. Also, the weight is always on the trademark side in between the legs of the anvil just like yours. An early German Trenton also will have a flat bottom, just like yours. It's likely yours was made before 1898 according to Anvils in America. Join the club, I have an early German Trenton as well. See the similarities? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse Killion Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 MC Hammer, am I understanding you correctly in that all flat bottom German Trentons are pre 1898? Mine is stamped solid wrought though I can't off the top of my head remember if the weight is between the legs or not. I have never been able to find a serial number. I assumed someone ground it off or some other oddity. I will have to get pictures this evening, assuming I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 Some of the early Trentons did not have a serial number IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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