I know there are some very knowledgeable players who are interested in uniforms and military history. I came across these old lead soldiers this morning, roughly 54mm size. The quality of the casting is not very good so they are perhaps 1900-1920 and most of the paint has worn off, if indeed they were originally painted. There is no maker's mark. My best guess is that they are probably Napoleonic Highlanders, rather than anything much earlier, based on the hat which looks more like a feather bonnet than a bearskin; the feathers being more pronounced in some poses than others. The mounted officer is wearing a long-skirted coat but without the long cuffs from 1700 which could place it from the mid 1700s. Of course, these early toy makers were probably not as interested in replicating exact uniform details as more modern model makers are, so I may be trying to identify them more precisely than is possible?
Does anyone have any ideas what they are, how old, who made them, or suggestions where I could find out more?
Does anyone have any ideas what they are, how old, who made them, or suggestions where I could find out more?