What type of anvil is this

[Depdir374]

Any idea about this small anvil?  I found it in Kansas... What was it used for, worth more than I paid? ($49) any other info much appreciated

to

[George N. M.]

Welcome aboard from 7500' in SE Wyoming.  Glad to have you. 

How much does the anvil weigh?  You can use a bathroom scale.  Assuming that it has a hardened tool steel face it looks like a smaller anvil used for fairly light work.  Again, assuming the tool steel face it should be worth around $3-4/pound depending on the market in your local area.  Some places will see used anvils go for $1/lb. and some $5-6/lb.  

Do a bounce and ring test on it.  Drop a 3/4"-1" ball bearing on it from 10" and measure how much it bounces up.  90% is excellent.  70-80% is OK.  Anything under 50% and it is probably a piece of junk suitable for a boat anchor or door stop.  Tap around on the face lightly with a hammer.  If the ring is consitent all is well.  If there are dead spots that means the face has delaminated from the body.  If light to medium blows with ahammer mar the face it is cast iron throughout and is pretty useless as a blacksmithing tool.

If the tests pan out you probably got a good deal at $49.  If it turns out to be a cast iron hunk of junk, well you didn't lose that much.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[ThomasPowers]

Looks like a cast iron ASO to me and so not usable for smithing of steel.  It may be ok for smithing of non-ferrous metals like copper.

To me, I would not pay scrap rate, 20 USCents a pound,  for it as I have no use for it.

Do the ball bearing test just in case it is a steel faced cast iron anvil or extremely unlikely cast steel anvil.

Note too that size of an anvil helps a lot too.  I don't suggest to students that they go under 90 pounds or so unless it's and improvised anvil where heavy hitting won't be as much a concern.

[George N. M.]

BTW, "ASO" is "Anvil Shaped Object" which looks like an anvil but is pretty useless to actually be used as an anvil.  Something that is all cast iron is an ASO because cast iron is too soft.