Wagner with a bottom gate. Recast?

[JBriley]

I found this Wagner today with a gate mark on the bottom. A recast maybe? Measuring across the heat ring, it is 8 3/4" and across the top, it is 10". The cooking surface is as smooth as any old Wagner I have ever seen. Anything I can check to verify it one way or the other?

 

[Doug D.]

A recast definitely. Apparently, some of those with the resources to melt and mold iron also possessed the necessary abilities to produce reasonably well-cast pieces, even if they didn't use the most up-to-date technology.