Bronze Herreshoff Anchor on Ebay

[HerreshoffHistory]

There is an "old brass anchor" for sale on Ebay, maker unknown to the seller, but it's an original HMCo bronze anchor.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Old-Brass-Anchor-/121122197576

It is apparently a 16# anchor. Pattern number is 699 and matches the HMCo drawing. The stock looks a little iffy though, kind of short, but could be it is just missing the ball.

It's shank is bent --- as is the one at the Herreshoff Museum. Makes it authentic, I guess.

This is the size anchor that was part of the original equipment for the Buzzards Bay 15s. This anchor was specified as being made of cast steel on the Herreshoff drawing, so a bronze one is very rare.

Might anyone of you want to have it?

It would be a shame to see it go unrecognized to some antiques dealer.

[Steve]

It looks nice ... the owner has polished it up.  It's location is Leesburg, FL ... maybe 10 minutes from my home.

[Adam]

Shhhhhhhhhhh! I'm in the bidding....

[Robert (Alerion Sailor)]

I would like to get this anchor for Buccaneer but the seller will not allow me to bid because I'm from Canada.

Can anyone help me out Please.

Robert

[Robert (Alerion Sailor)]

This vendor is fool to block bidders, I would go to $400 for this anchor. I will pay $50 for their trouble to ever will me win this anchor.
Robert

[Jon Brooks]

Too big for my boat.  Bid on...

Jon 

[Adam]

I tried - got out bid at the end....

[HerreshoffHistory]

If any of you bought the anchor or know who did, I'd appreciate a private mail for we'd like to have a few photos of it and possibly examine it.

[Robert]

For some reason my pasword is not accepted and I changed my email so I had to start a new user profile.

I offfered the fellow $500 for the anchorbut by the time he got back to me the auction ended, so wish I had been able to bid but unfortunately missed that one.

Alerion Sailor

[Chard HerreshoffAnchorGuy]

amazing and informative..please tell me about my anchor...my reply on adams post two above yours..explains why I value your knowledge and input...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/171171854851?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

hope that link works...
http://r.ebay.com/fknsyz

better?  chardbreed@gmail.com

[vasailor]

Hey folks, sorry to hijack and revive an older thread, but I think it's kind of relevant, and I'm glad to have found this thread.  I found it while trying to figure out the value of the anchor I have, which will hopefully help me decide what to do with it.

I started by looking on ebay, but there's nothing comparable even in recent completed listings.  There's a 7-1/2 pounder, but this one is way heavier than that.  Maybe one of you knows it based on the size?

This anchor came with my boat, I get the feeling it's a bit overkill for me.  Wife's not much into the nautical decor of the home, so I'm stuck with this very difficult decision.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  If there is a better way to photograph this to capture more identifying details, I'd be happy to do so.

I'm in Virginia, by the way.

[HerreshoffHistory]

Thank you for posting those photos!

Are there any markings on this anchor?

Do you have any idea who might have made it or how old it is?

[vasailor]

I will examine it more closely tonight and see if there are any useful markings.  I'll post what I find, because I'm curious as well.

[vasailor]

The only markings I could see were on the shank and flukes, both indicating that it's a 55 lb anchor.  Maybe I'll spend some time polishing off the patina and find more markings that may be currently obscured.  Should I expect to find manufacturer markings of some sort somewhere on the anchor?

[HerreshoffHistory]

Thank you for posting your additional photos which confirm my belief that this is an anchor that is close to the Herreshoff pattern but not made by Herreshoff.

From what I have seen original Herreshoff anchors were stamped with a  HMCo and the respective pattern numbers on the part. Later ones were  stamped with Herreshoff and Bristol. In later years HMCo also farmed  many anchors out to others foundries and these anchors would bear the  foundry mark (say Lebanon Steel Foundry or one of the few other they  worked with). These anchors were also recorded HMCo pattern cards and  thus can be traced / researched to some extent today.

The end of the shaft also looks different from what HMCo did. Likewise, the top of the palm may be different (difficult to tell from the photo) and palms may not be as sharp.

I do not know if HMCo ever made bronze anchors that heavy. Usually they were made of steel.

Other non-HMCo-made bronze anchors are also lighter.

The only Herreshoff bronze anchors that I am aware of and that come close in size are those made by Historical Arts & Casting in Utah and they look different in a number of details.

It'll be interesting to see if you can discover anymore markings.