Rick, that is an amazing Cathead (and I'm glad it's not a real one!
). Quite incredible. Would love to own such a thing! I once had pieces of wood from the wreck of the Royal George off Spithead. Like a young naïve fool, I sold it long ago.
Dmitri, good to hear from you. I carefully looked over the head after removing some of the rust and saw no markings. Likewise, none on the shaft I've been able to find. i haven't weighed it yet, but it is definitely substantial. I took for granted that this piece was naval versus private purchase, but you bring up a good point. Of course, I'm also told that many of the naval ones weren't marked either even though everything else bore inspection. I'm not so clear on what's the truth on this matter...