Hi, New Here from Illinois

MitchB

New member
I have a pot which I picked up at an estate sale. I thought it had a Gate Mark.
But I'm not sure? It is marked with a WD at the bottom and what looks like a Gate Mark. And it has a #8 on the rim. can anyone help?
 
Here's some pic of the cast iron I was talking about in my first posted.
 

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The pot is probably mid-late 1800s. The scar on the bottom is a gate mark, where the iron entered the mold. The initials are those of the foundryman who cast the piece, as a method of accounting for his production and piecework pay. Old bottom-gated pieces without a name inscribed are rarely identifiable as to maker.
 
The gate mark looks like it was almost welded on there to make it look like a gate mark. So I don't know if this a forgery? It's very light a little over 4lbs.
The other piece of gate marked cast iron I have is over 7lbs. I know that ones for real. They're both about the same size. The pot that's 7lbs has 2 cracks in it, but still nice, almost no pitting. The 4lb pot is nice all the way around no pitting just some scratches on the bottom from use. Thanks!
 
It is unlikely that it is a forgery. Many shops made cast iron. I have a Griswold #22 that is light and a copy of one similar to it is very heavy. It just depends on the foundry.
 
There would be no purpose to adding a faux gate mark to a piece. Welding cast iron with more grey iron doesn't work very well (if at all), anyway.
 
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