Trenton anvil

[Farmer ken]

I have a 184lb trenton anvil. Can anyone tell me it's year. And what it's worth?

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

What it's worth will depend upon where in the world you are located and if it has good rebound and rings well over the whole face. If you could wire wheel the serial number so it can be read, someone with a copy of Anvils in America can probably give a date range of when it was made.

It looks to be in excellent condition and I hope you have read about not doing any grinding, milling or welding on the hardened face, which does more harm than good.

[George N. M.]

As Irondragon said, the value will vary a lot depending on where you are in the world.  Even regionally in the US you can see a wide variation in the value of local anvils.  I'd say they tend to be a function of historic population density, there are more available in the eastern part of the US which depresses the price some and anvils are rarer in the more thinly populated west which makes the ones available somewhat more dear.

All that said, and assuming that you are in the USA I would guesstimate a fair market price for a 187# Trenton anvil in good shape (good ring, good rebound test) at $3-5/lb..

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[ThomasPowers]

Note that with anvils; earlier dates may go for lower prices as users may prefer later made anvils with upgrades to construction and metallurgy! (Like solid steel upper body/face).

Old for an anvil is generally 200+ years; a lot of us use 100 year old anvils on a daily basis!

What does the bottom look like; Hourglass, Flat, Caplet?  Check the face for any signs of repair along the edges; repairs drop the price heavily as they often damage the anvil more than improve it!  (No way to tell if it was done *correctly* by someone 50 years ago but using it and seeing if the welded edges crack off. And any grinding or milling on the face can cut the value in half or even more!)