You would have thought they would have marked them better. I could only see some of what was on mine! After doing the research on it I used what I could see and from pics of I re-created the full lettering and hand painted the logo and weight mark on it!! Don't ask me why, because it don't make the anvil any better but, I like history. This is a way of preserving some of the history!
Here are a couple of links to another forum and a thread where a lot of the history of Hay Buddens was discussed!
https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?/topic/34222-questions-about-hay-budden-anvils/
https://www.bladesmithsforum.com/in...budden-pic-heavy/&tab=comments#comment-333098
Alan Longmire and Geoff Keyes from that forum are both very knowledgeable about anvils. Alan has access to the serial numbers which can pretty much nail down the date of the anvil. However there are three different markers, that also can help to date a Hay Budden. Some had a steel plate on top about 3/4" thick, others appear to have a steel top that goes about halfway down the anvil and they were married together as the anvil was cast and the other has a steel plate about 1 1/2" - 2" thick on it! I first thought mine was one of those with a 3/4" steel plate, however while painting it I hit the anvil with a haze coat, sorta a primer coat and the line where the top half of the anvil was married to the bottom mild steel base shows well. I think it is one of the photos of those links!! Anyway it indicates that mine was made after 1914. The 3/4" face was done till 1914 and after that date they were married at the halfway point!!
Hay Budden also changed its logo several times. One is the arched like is on mine. Some were straight! Others had the New York spelled out some had only NY. Here are some pics of different logos!
Here is a Hay Budden with the top plate shows as it has been broken
This one is one of the most pristine logo's I remember seeing!
Here is one with an entirely different logo.
And finally one of the coolest things I have seen. A copy of an old Hay Budden advertisement!
Oh and I forgot this one, it one of the biggest I have ever seen! If you look closely in this pic you can see where someone marked the marry line with chalk! I can't make out the weight but, I think it may be a 856. If is is that is a whopper!!!
Take a look at this baby!!! Actually that is a sheet metal anvil made to set out in front of a blacksmith's shop! LOL
Dan Boone, George Smart and Mike Tanner with the sheet metal "anvil" sign