A King George V Coronation 1911
This article has two parts: This first part is an intriguing enigma, the second a straight report. There have been some intriguing, clearly Britains, full dress troops, appearing at auction in recent decades, probably a dozen lots or more since the millenium, with no definitive reported history in the Britains story, production runs or catalogues (see P1 – P6). There are no referenced reports in the literature of a background to these troops and no lots at auction to date have come with a box or set number. They do not appear to have been in any Britains leaflet or lists, etc.
James Opie in his Great Book of Britains surmises that these figures were brought out for the coronation of King George V in 1911. James also describes the two uniforms, being full dress, red with dark blue facings and blue with red facings. Further, he reports within each uniformed group there were officers on a prancing horse and on a trotting horse and men either marching or at attention, surmising also that they could be acquired singly or as a counter pack.
But, no Britains listing number found and no original box seen, and there have been no reports of any retained outlet selling such figures. What is surmised is that there were souvenirs on sale during the time of the coronation, not across the board, but outlets that already sold Britains toy soldiers. Two such significant outlets come to mind, big department stores with large toy sections already into Britains, and probably also well into the souvenir market. The two that readily suggest themselves, clearly in London, are Harrods and Selfridges. Gamages also come to mind. It was part of their approach to marketing Britains toy soldiers in boxes with Gamages labels.. I can see Gamages wanting to do this with such souvenir productions from Britains for a coronation, but again no such boxes with these reported figures appear to have surfaced anywhere in the last 50 years.
The figures in the red and blue uniforms were flat capped and in four stances, all new castings, Officers were the new figures introduced in the previous 10 years, mounted on a prancing or a trotting horse, and ordinary ranks were either marching or at attention. The foot soldiers were either the new all purpose marching full trousered figures, just recently introduced or the half-booted at attention figure with first version at attention rifle arm.
So there you have it, any clues anyone?
Following are pictures of the figures in all four stances and in both red and blue uniforms. Acknowledgements to Vectis and C & T auction houses.
and at attention
B King George VI Coronation 1937
A number of updated uniforms for various parts of Great Britain’s armed forces were produced for the new King’s coronation in 1937. Britains saw an opportunity to produce and market some sets to coincide with the coronation. Some of these new issues in 1937 were sets reflecting the volunteer part time soldiers in blue and green uniforms and four sets were produced, covering marching with rifles at the slope and at the present. In 1938 sets were issued for troops marching without rifles, walking out as Britains labelled them. All these new Territorial sets came with tan bases. In the catalogue the set titles state that the four 1937 Territorial sets are in New Green Uniforms or New Blue Uniforms.
P7 shows the boxed set 1538, Territorial Army in Green Uniforms with the unique box lid illustration. These rifle regiment troops are in a very dark green hue.
P8 shows the end label as used for the 1937 sets. The label flags either Blue Uniform or Green Uniform and recording either Marching, Slope Arms, or, Present Arms.
There were slight variations at times for the sets with rifles, some had white rifle slings, as shown for rifle regiments in P10.
A number of these sets were collected piecemeal and the slight variations in face or base colours, etc. can be seen. For interest, set 1618 (P19) was bought at BMSS in Caxton Hall one evening in the 1970s. I was well into making and painting diverse regimental sets, bands, colour parties etc., etc., at that time from duff/stripped down Britains figures. A dealer had on his table a box full of sets 1618 figures, simple basic painted castings which I thought could be stripped down. I was in the market for such basic figures for the groups I was going to make and paint. The box on the dealers table said £1 each so I thought I’ll have 8 of those for stripping down, random selection, officer and 7 men. I never got round to stripping them and about 20 years later realised they were from set 1618.
But as you can see there are slight variations, bases and faces. It took a further 25 years to obtain its companion set 1617 (P16). These variations can even be seen in one of the boxed sets, some figures as reported collected piecemeal and then an empty box comes along (like P13 above).
The Coronation for George VI was in May 1937. Following the four Territorial sets in that year as covered above, two further Territorial sets, seemingly, were issued in the following year, again one each for Line Regiments and Rifle Regiments. This time they paraded without arms and were described as in Walking-Out Dress, (P16). However, the end label (P17) does not name the figures as exclusively Territorials, it states Regulars & Territorials so could represent either, but they are in a Territorials box.
The end label for these two 1938 sets was slightly different to those for the four 1937 sets above. It described the contents as Regulars and Territorials Line Regiments. So, Regulars & (or) Territorials but still in a Territorial box, (P17).
The catalogue entry for set 1617 says Line Regiments of the Regular Army and Territorial Forces, in Blue Walking-out Dress with Officer, similarly so for set 1618.
It is interesting to note that the officers for the rifles regiments, for the matching set 1538 and walking out set 1618, have silver whistle lanyards but set 1541, the rifle regiment at the present, do not sport one.