Specialty hatchets?

[Mgderf]

While cleaning up a relatives estate, my brother ran across this hatchet.

It appears to be a factory design.
What is the intended use for such an oddity blade?

 

[erasure]

Strange.

Any manufacturer's marks on it?

 

[Mgderf]

Has USA 1-12? forged into the heaf.

 

[Expat]

Weird. I have never seen anything like that.

 

[JTKelly]

Shingler's hatchet.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Shingler's hatchet.

Yes, I think you're right.