Antique 1800s Gate Mark Cast Iron Skillet Pan 10.5in Single Spout Fancy Handle

A genuine 19th-century American cast-iron skillet with all the wonderfully primitive features collectors look for: a prominent bottom gate mark, continuous center heat ring, single pointed pour spout, and an especially attractive openwork teardrop handle. The long raised line across the bottom is the casting gate scar-not a crack. Molten iron entered the mold through this channel, leaving the distinctive raised mark after the skillet was removed and finished. This early production method predates the more modern side-gating techniques used by major 20th-century foundries. The skillet is unmarked, so its precise foundry cannot be identified.

At only 3.8 pounds, it is notably lighter and thinner than most modern cast-iron cookware. The walls measure approximately the thickness of a U. Its graceful handle and strongly defined early casting features give it excellent visual character. Cooking-surface diameter: approximately 10.5 inches. Wall thickness: approximately that of a U.

Restored and seasoned with a handsome, even black finish. The skillet has a faint wobble that is corrected by approximately one standard business card. The cooking surface has extensive old pitting and erosion. Although the skillet remains a solid antique, the irregular surface would make it less desirable for everyday cooking, particularly for delicate foods. It is best offered as a collector, display, hearth, cabin, or historical kitchen piece. No maker's name or size number is visible. Please examine all photographs closely, as they are an important part of the condition description. A beautiful survivor from the era when cast-iron cookware was individually molded in sand and finished largely by hand-rough around the cooking surface, but loaded with genuine 19th-century character.