I picked up a 3 newhouse with stamps on both springs and property of United states on the frame. The pan is marked onidea community with a patent date on the pan chain and ring is complete. anyone know what the going price is on these. I'm curious if I spent too much lol.

Hard to say. I recommend looking ebay. When I first
started collecting I would have gone about $35 for a
good one. Others may not agree, at all.

Ok cool, Im not a trap collector just a hoarder. I bought it on a whim, I figured it would be cool to catch a coyote with an old govt trap. I just wanted to make sure it wasnt too valuable to swap the chain out and stick it in the ground.

Yes, it would be cool to try and catch a coyote with an old government trap. But I'm not sure you want to be setting a $50.00 (or more) trap to try and catch a $25.00 coyote. If it was my trap, it would be hanging on the wall not buried in the dirt.

If you've already swapped out the chain, then the value goes down.

I haven't touched it yet. I reckon ill just hang it on the wall of the shed if it's worth a 50 dollar bill, that's about double what I paid for it. Wissmiss do you know when it was made?

That is an interesting spot to see the government stamp. Usually on the bottom from the few I've seen.
I think those odd jawposts mean it was made about the same time as World War One.

I thought the same thing. They are normally marked on the bottom of the frame not the top.

The split jaw posts add to it as well....
Barry