Did the markings on the bottom give any clues?
Yes, as far as the ID goes, your photos confirm what Scott, Jim, and I guessed (please see the previous posts). The figures are Britains, likely from set 2178, Band of the Fort Henry Guard, which a collector has modified through repainting to depict a US Marine band of the Civil War.
If they are hollow, then they are definitely original Britains which have been repainted. If they are solid, then they are replicas of Britains.
William Britain pioneered a casting technique, called hollowcasting-the caster poured the molten metal in the mold, waited second for the metal to begin to cool, and then tipped out the remaining molten metal. This produced a toy soldier which was hollow, and therefore, lighter, than a solid figure. That also meant that Britain could produce more, ship them more cheaply, and undercut his competition.
To tell if the figures are hollow, look for a hole, usually on the head or headgear, which is from the pour gate on the mold. The figure will also feel light for its size.
No one copies the figures using the hollowcasting technique; at least, I have never seen a hobbyist do it. However, there have been many who copied Britain's figures but as solid figures. Over the years, Britain has also licensed some vendors to sell replacement parts, for those who want to repair/refurbish old figures. We have members here in the forum who do this.
It's an attractive set, as we've said. It's interesting to get to the bottom of its origins.
Prost!
Brad
