That small of shank is unusual. Most seem to be 3/4 or 7/8. Price wasn't bad either, in my opinion. Largest I've seen was a whole set of 10 hardy tools, in a box, out of a RR storage shed, for use with a two inch Hardy hole. Good find.
I thought I would never find one with a half inch shank, honestly. I'd looked for one some years ago since my great-grandfather's anvil vise has a half inch hardie hole. But there it was. I was surprised at the price, too. There was another bidder early on, but he gave up at $11.70. I expected something in the $40 to 50 range.
I got a bit of it's more recent history from the seller. It had belonged to a fellow who passed away recently, and who did demonstrations for reenactor events and restored old wagons and carriages. He haunted flea markets, swap meets, and antique stores, so there's no telling where he had picked it up. Maybe I'll find out more about it in the future.
