Featured Hand-Forged Miner's/Prospector's? Pick, Straight Oval Eye

It's ~9" long, ~1" square, with the blade 4" long by ~1 3/4" wide; the eye is ~1 1/16" by ~9/16". Weight is ~31 oz. Neither the blade edge nor the poll show much if any use or wear. A nice touch in this piece of work are the 4 notches just forward of the eye; they are forged, but show dressing by file at their edges...I believe they may be a form of maker's mark (as might be the sharp-edged strikes on the right hand side (pics 9 & 10))...or perhaps only a grace-note, for balanced appearance, or just eye appeal.
I cannot say whether its material is iron or steel; when suspended by a rod through the eye an' tapped, it rings slightly, so there is some level of temper, as would be expected in a striking tool.
I have no recollection of where or when I acquires this pick, but it still stirs me to fondle it, for its simple utility an' quiet beauty.
Your comments are most welcome, an' thanks for lookin'!

@the blacksmith

 

but it still stirs me to fondle it, ..........

u sure you don't want to rephrase that....

 

looks like iron......and well made too !!

 

a stone hammer.... of some type... sounds right..

this one though, has similar indentations......??

.
antique-spike-tomahawk-trade-axe-hand-1788381343

 

Dead certain.

 

Early vampire killer-like a Swiss Army tool for the Undead, mighty handsome.
PS-Seriously,could it be a medieval 'war hammer',many had lethal spiked ends, but I'm no expert ?

 

Looks like a "chisel head" geologist's hammer, or stone mason's hammer.