✅ SOLVED Along with several civil war buttons and coins, I found this axe head. It turned out to be in pretty rough shape. Any ideas on age or mfr?

[deepseeker3]

 

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[Sandog]

With what looks like the hatchet, hammer surface, and nail puller, it could be a roofing tool. Maybe an old, old roofing tool.

 

[potsherd_creek]

antique and vintage claw hatchets were shaped just like that on the poll end although I have not seen an axe with that claw. What is the length and weight?
IMO, it is not in bad shape, maybe the deeper pocks are hammered forge marks. Good find !

 

[Almy]

I think it's a fairly modern, forged tool head that has been rusting in the ground for several years. The pock marks are where iron-eating bacteria have been feeding. They would have been rust pustules before the restorer ground the surface that we see.

 

[Tony in SC]

Shake hatchet. Iron not steel. Made for cutting and nailing wooden shakes on a cabin. Roof or sides.

 

[deepseeker3]

Shake hatchet. Iron not steel. Made for cutting and nailing wooden shakes on a cabin. Roof or sides.

What are your thoughts on what looks like a mfr name?

 

[ColorfulCreator]

it almost looks like it says "India" or "Hoia" or " NOIA?

 

[potsherd_creek]

I wondered about that same area, was it a word. The more I look at it, yes, an O, L and A are legible.
Everyone is going to see it different, I see D. Poula, that is a surname although very uncommon in the states (see some N.E.) and have found differences in the origin from French to Spanish to Portuguese.
I know, a shot in the dark.

edit, now I'm seeing Poulia, whatever

 

[deepseeker3]

I wondered about that same area, was it a word. The more I look at it, yes, an O, L and A are legible.
Everyone is going to see it different, I see D. Poula, that is a surname although very uncommon in the states (see some N.E.) and have found differences in the origin from French to Spanish to Portuguese.
I know, a shot in the dark.

edit, now I'm seeing Poulia, whatever

I believe the last two are TA. But it sure looks like an o in there. Then the question is, why are there two different font sizes?

 

[potsherd_creek]

Looking at this from another angle, True Temper made a short handled Tommy Axe that is a close resemblance, there are several on eBay. Easy to look up the history on True Temper, which are a lot of tool companies that merged.
Some of the markings on one side of the blade of different years, a vertical, No. TA, No. TAF, No TA
The ones I saw were stamped True Temper on the opposite side although possible that your axe was of an earlier company, one of the 17 companies before the merger? The rusted away areas make this a challenge.

Edit, The merger formed American Fork and Hoe in 1902 that changed to True Temper in 1949 although the trademark True Temper had been used by AF&H for decades.

 

[deepseeker3]

Yup, you hit it on the head.