Somebody picked these up at a sale, nothing to id them, hoping somebody here might have a clue
Thanks
Steve

They're blokes on 'osses, Steve.... case closed, Id say!!

Thank you for your prompt and helpful, incisive reponse
Steve

!

Hi, Steve!

Those are homecasts, made from molds that originated in Germany, though later there were mold makers here in the US who copied them.

The molds were made by Gebrüder Schneider, Schneider Brothers, who were located in Leipzig and operated from around 1890 up through 1945. They had a widely varied catalog of bronze molds for hobbyists to cast their own toy soldiers at home, and their products were very popular. Some used the molds to make figures which they painted, boxed, and sold as a cottage business. The Schneider catalog covered Ancients, medieval knights, cowboys & Indians, and most of the major European armies circa 1900, as well as the American army. For the German army, they made molds for Prussians in Pickelhauben and Jaeger in their shakos; Bavarians in their Raupenhelm, and Saxon Jaeger in their own distinctive shakos. They made cavalry figures, too, with cuirassiers, Uhlans, and hussars.

Here in the US, there was a German ex-pat named Henry Sachs who started off by selling Schneider molds, then copies of Schneider molds under his own label. That was back in the 1920s. There was a big market here for homecasting, and a couple other makers of molds started off selling Schneider molds and copies, notably Home Foundry and Junior Caster. You can still get molds today from a successor company, Castings, Inc, which sells a series of Schneider molds depicting Prussian bandsmen circa 1910.

In Germany, after the war, there was a gentleman in Cassel who made replicas of Schneider molds in a zinc alloy, Herr Höhmann. He also made molds from the catalog of Schneider Bros' chief competitor, Ideal ("ee-day-all"). Ideal had its own knights, very pretty, and African natives and scenes of village life. Herr Höhmann was a very nice gentleman; I bought many of my molds from him, to go with the original bronze Schneider molds that I have. Sadly, he passed away, and though he wanted his son to follow him in the business, that didn't happen.

This particular figure was a British cavalryman, 1914. Where the figure was cast, is almost impossible to say. Generally, if you bought them online, they were probably made in the country where the seller was located.

As a toy soldier collector, I enjoy these molds and the figures I make from them. I use old linotype metal, which produces a nice casting with crisp detail. Painted up, the figures have a certain charm to them. Buying them, though, is a hit-or-miss business. Most of the ones you find for sale are really only worth melting down, though.

Hope that helps, prosit!
Brad

Very much obliged Brad thanks
Steve

Have a look here for catalogue
http://www.zinnfiguren-klio.de/PDF/schneiderformen/gesamtkatalog.pdf
more via
http://www.zinnfiguren-bleifiguren....er_Gebrueder/Schneider_Gebrueder_Leipzig.html

Best

Thanks Miro

Thankfully a grownup answered your question