I have recently inherited a large collection of w britains soldiers from a relative. If the memory of another family member is right they were purchased in 1968. Upon hearing that Fort Henry was discontinuing the Britains my relative called and bought all they had left. The boxes got ruined so he had wood cases made with acrylic fronts to see through. Now I am looking for more information on these sets so I can figure out how many pieces go with original sets. These wood boxes are large and look like they are holding at least several original sets in each box. I would like to group these properly. Also, there are no markings on the bottoms of the figures at all. Was that common for these figures? Thanks for any help at all.
large collection of Britains from Fort Henry Kingston- need help identifying them (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jamie
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I will take pictures today. What is your email address? Thanks for helping. Also, if you prefer you can tell me how to post photos on this site. Thanks again, Jamie
I have about 17 of these large boxes with some of them Zoaves. About 7 or 8 boxes are signed with the Britain logo on the bottoms and the rest have no signature. My relative said she thinks they were purchased in 1968 from Fort Henry in kingston when the Fort announced they would no longer carry them. My relative called up and bought all they had left. Over the years the boxes were ruined by an insect called silverfish so he made these custom boxes. He passed several years ago and memory of his wife is what I am going on. Probably near 1000 figures combined in these boxes. Thanks for any advice.
DMNamiot
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Hi Guys here are some larger pictures.
So far I can see figures from sets 1283 (9122) Grenadier Guards. Set 9160 Ft Henry Guards 89th foot, Fort Henry Guards Band. either set 2177 5 piece or 2178 10 pieces. The Forth Henry Guard sets were mostly not available through the regular catalogue only for sale at the gift shop there. All the sets are from 1959 to 1966.
There are also some interesting looking figures that I dont know would need a closer photo of the figure to include the bases.
Dave
So far I can see figures from sets 1283 (9122) Grenadier Guards. Set 9160 Ft Henry Guards 89th foot, Fort Henry Guards Band. either set 2177 5 piece or 2178 10 pieces. The Forth Henry Guard sets were mostly not available through the regular catalogue only for sale at the gift shop there. All the sets are from 1959 to 1966.
There are also some interesting looking figures that I dont know would need a closer photo of the figure to include the bases.
Dave
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Those would look awesome on display...
theBaron
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Hi, Jamie, and welcome to the forum!
The bluecoated figures in your pictures are not Britains, they are homecast figures. That is, they were cast by a hobbyist, using molds available on the market, in this case, from Prins August, from their 54mm Seven Years War series. As such, they don't have too much resale value; prices for homecasts are wildly speculative, because the quality is so widely varied. That's not to say that the ones in your photos aren't nice, but you may not find much of a market for those particular figures.
I have those same molds; the details aren't too crisp to begin with, and as the molds wear out, detail gets even softer. However, with the right alloy and some care, you can get some decent figures. The figures from this particular series are excellent for large displays, where the visual impact comes from the sheer number of figures, rather than to draw the eye to a single figure's detail. But also, they're excellent for making castings to paint in a classic glossy finish.
It's difficult to tell, but from the uniform colors, they could represent Prussian, Hessian or Brunswick infantry from the Seven Years War, or Hessian or Brunswick infantry from the American Revolution.
I can't speak about the British guardsmen figures; I have a lot of references, but don't really collect old hollowcasts. But there are plenty of hollowcast experts here in the forum, so I'm sure we'll get some more info before long.
Hope that helps, prost!
Brad
The bluecoated figures in your pictures are not Britains, they are homecast figures. That is, they were cast by a hobbyist, using molds available on the market, in this case, from Prins August, from their 54mm Seven Years War series. As such, they don't have too much resale value; prices for homecasts are wildly speculative, because the quality is so widely varied. That's not to say that the ones in your photos aren't nice, but you may not find much of a market for those particular figures.
I have those same molds; the details aren't too crisp to begin with, and as the molds wear out, detail gets even softer. However, with the right alloy and some care, you can get some decent figures. The figures from this particular series are excellent for large displays, where the visual impact comes from the sheer number of figures, rather than to draw the eye to a single figure's detail. But also, they're excellent for making castings to paint in a classic glossy finish.
It's difficult to tell, but from the uniform colors, they could represent Prussian, Hessian or Brunswick infantry from the Seven Years War, or Hessian or Brunswick infantry from the American Revolution.
I can't speak about the British guardsmen figures; I have a lot of references, but don't really collect old hollowcasts. But there are plenty of hollowcast experts here in the forum, so I'm sure we'll get some more info before long.
Hope that helps, prost!
Brad
Thanks much for the insight. My Uncle collected name brand figures and also cast and painted many of his own so that makes perfect sense. I have some others that I will be trying to post pictures of today. Thanks
Sorry, I know these are not likely Britians but I am new to this forum and thought you might guide me to the proper board. Here are some pictures of other items from my uncle's estate that need identifying. The fixed set is marked Made in France on the bottom of the platform. I see no other marking on it. The mounted figures with a brass or copper looking metal base say Spai Francia 1,914. Thanks for any guidance.
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tdubel
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The set of the stove that is tied down definitely looks like and probably is CBG Mignot, do you have the full box on that one as it would tell you,
Tom