***RARE*** Restored 1910 Era \"Ghosted\" Griswold #9 Skillet w/Medium Slant Logo For Sale

Wow! Where do I start with this one?
If you\'re a Griswold fan, then you know what this is. Yes, it\'s a #9 Griswold cast iron skillet.But it\'s not a normal one. Griswold released the \"slant logo\" around 1909. Before that their skillets just had \"Griswold\'s Erie\" on the bottom. Because of the casting process of the time, manufacturers would occasionally get \"ghost\" marks of the previous logos because they would reuse the old molds to save the cost of creating new ones. This skillet looks to be one of the first made (possibly a prototype) in the transition to the Griswold slant logo. If you look closely at the photos of the bottom you can see the arc shaped \"Griswold\" logo just under the number 9 at the top. That ghost mark dates this pan somewhere between 1908 and 1910.
Overall, the skillet is in very good condition, with the exception of the handle. At some point in this pan\'s life the handle was broken off, probably as a result of being dropped. Fortunately, it appears to have been competently welded back and is as sturdy as the rest of the pan. They didn\'t do a great job smoothing out the weld with a grinder, but it\'s not horrible and will probably become less noticeable as the pan continues to be seasoned with use. The cooking surface of the skillet is in excellent condition with no rust, very minor pitting and just a few scratches here and there. This pan sits nice and flat and is NOT a \"spinna\"! It should work great on any cooking surface.
So now you have a quandry. Do you buy the pan as a collector and to show it off (which it is very well suited for). Or do you buy it as a \"user\'s\" pan due to its light weight, solid build and renound \"cookability\"? If it were me, I\'d buy it to use first, because that\'s the best way to preserve its beauty. Your choice! Either way, this is a great pan with a cool story. Time to break out the steaks!