Hello!
I'm so excited to have come across this forum. It looks like a wonderful resource! I'm generally fairly good at identifying cast iron, but I've recently acquired two skillets that have me stumped.
The one with the blurry writing looks to me like it says "AUG 1897 PAT-D," but I'm honestly not sure.
The #8 looks very much like another I have that's marked Marietta, PA. The handle is the same, it has the gate mark and the single large pour spout, but the big bubble font is completely different and there's no heat ring.
I do apologize if I'm posting this on the wrong board, but I wasn't sure where the right place would be. I'm not necessarily looking for a valuation, just identification. I love the history behind these old pieces!
Thank you!