This is an old blacksmiths stake with the typical round and square horns (or bicks). These were common in early shops with hornless anvils and anvils with short stubby horns. Today they have been largly replaced by steel anvils with relatively long horns.

The heavy corrosion on this stake is typeical of old wrought tools displaying the grain of the old iron. The grain and weld boundries demonstrate the manufacturing techniques of these old items. Similar to modern stakes the top was weled to the shank. However, these old tools used a V or birds-mouth forge weld. This was then reinforced with side plates which also produce a heavy rectangular center over the shank. The collar is also a seperate piece welded around the shank to produce a shoulder. Better stakes had much larger shoulders and were probably forged down from a larger piece (see stake referenced below).

Stake Anvil
Classic European Stake Anvil from the Lyda-Ferdinand Collection.

Diego Velazquez's "The Forge of Vulcan"