Well here's a little trap that strikes my interest, was curious how common they are and if anyone has an idea of why they did it ?
It would be interesting to see how many other sizes ended up with stampings like it? I have a couple others I'll try and post, thanks for looking and sharing.

I wonder sometimes if the workers intentionally changed things up to keep the monotony of trap building interesting.

Nice pair.... Don't split them up..
There are strange pan and spring stamps out there but they aren't real common.
I agree with jhunter about some one just messing around at the factory....... Orrrrr............ Could be every hundred thousandth pan was stamped upside down to keep track of production.........

Here's a picture of the hundred thousands pre Pat 3 1/2

And a 48 ATC , typical poor stamp, this one was probably stamped Friday at closing time,

When you look at the dies and realize that they read backwards it’s easy to understand how the press operator could put the die in backwards. I believe the die fit into tooling and the drop from above. So upside down reading backwards. There would have been a jig set in front of the operator to drop the pans into or onto. Then pull your hands out and press the button. The ram comes down and stamps into the pan. You remove it from the jig and repeat.
The first one or two pans struck would show the operator if he got it right or backwards. In the 1870s the dies where two piece and two separate strikes the number was one the writing around the pan another. That’s why you get right side up numbers with upside down lettering.

Boy I thought I either ticked everyone off or scared them away,I was hoping people would show a few of the different pans they have. Anyways Mike you painted a good picture in my imagination of the guys/gals standing there stamping pans and springs, can see how easily it could have happened. Thanks for chiming in Ed

Here’s one that come to my mind right away. I call this the sideways four pan. In Canada they made a bunch of them like this. On number fours and they also went on to 31/2s that where manufactured in Canada.

I was thinking about what you said, I wonder what kept that slug with the stamp on it from gradually spinning and bringing the stamp farther around the pan, last weekend I seen a 48 the stamp was at a angle across the pan, should of snapped a picture of it. Thanks for sharing Mike.

Here is a #48 ATC Newhouse with a sideways stamped pan.

Guess I haven't seen a 48 like that, I have seen two different 14 atc that have a sideways stamp the opposite of your trap, nice trap thanks for sharing Dean.
The zero and the 91 are from Fred's collection, I spent a couple days helping build walls for his treasures, something to see

Here’s an upside down spring stamp on a Canadian number one Newhouse trap. I never could figure out how these happened but there’s a number of them made in size number one and one and a half sizes.

Either a left handed person doing a job set up for a right handed person or possible the spring stamp was put in backwards and the operator just kept running it.


This trap is for sale or trade.

I have seen that spring stamp on a double long spring, when you hold the trap both stamps face you, how about the stamp on the inside of the spring?
A 14atc out of Jerry's collection

I really like that pan. A long time ago i posted a few pictures on here questioning if the first number in 14 on some ATCs was a goofy die or hand stamped.