Is this wrench from 1881, or is it just a serial number?

Upvote:6

It is entirely possible - Hex-head bolts were known well before that. This page states that James Nasmyth made a lathe attachment to mill hex nuts in 1830, and by the 1880s the combination of cold-heading and the Bessemer process were being used to mass-produce them.

Nick C 322

Upvote:6

That "1881" looks hand-inscribed to me. Simple tools aren't commonly serial numbered in my experience.

The number could be a date added by the owner, or it could be some other numbering: a bench number where he worked, his employee number in a factory, or something like that. People in a factory tend to borrow tools and "forget" whose they are, so marking them is wise.

John Dallman 31010

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