B is for Bloody Brittle Buggers

Having pointed-out earlier that it's all mass-produced, over-priced, plastic tat for infants (!), there are - of course - the exceptions that prove the rule, damaged moulds, cancelled lines, factory fires as so on all lead to genuine rarities and (as I caveat'ed earlier) certain additives lead to a frangibility probably not anticipated at the time, which has rendered some items to be less and less common over time, these intermediate-scale figures from Rocco are among them

So this is what I have here (with the lose leg pretending to be attached). In storage I have a similar sample but with more bits in the bottom of the bag! They are also to be found with green highlights I seem to recall, not sure about blue and I believe they are Rocco (Royce Co.)? [Now confirmed!]

One day I hope to be able to cobble two whole pairs together from the bits, but will continue to buy them whenever I see them to have a fighting chance of enough horse bits. It seems if you get an intact tail, legs are missing and if you get intact legs, the tail's gone!

These are Rocco for definite 'cos Brain said so and he knows more than me! Again I have a much larger sample in storage, but of the same overall quality, just another pose or two and lots more bits!

Although, top left is a complete pair and the guards officer is passable, so with two whole knights now, it's [whole] horses the search is on for, and you will note I've two pinkish 'ski-base' fragments in this lot which may help coble one of the storage ones together one day - even if only with tape or blue-tac for a photo!

There are many of these 'intermediate scale' mounted figures, in both metal and plastic and they were literally pocket-money toys, being cheap "Shut-up and play with this" stuff by the till/checkout. Rocco was unusual in doing them as separate riders, although there are some others; most makes produced integral horse & rider mouldings.

The originals - in metal, usually hollow-cast, but due to their size; sometimes solids - would have been penny toys, maybe a tuppeny between the wars, later sixpence (?); they were then replaced by plastic versions, often taken from the hollow-cast moulds.

Just as an idea of the opposition here are a few, we will return to these in time. Below the Rocco cowboy is a hollow-cast Crescent metal hussar type (RHA? HMQ?), with two of the larger Crescent plastics to his [her?] right; Crescent followed (?) Rocco with the 'ski-bases'.

Above them and to the right of the Rocco is a Cherilea Indian, ex-hollow cast. Bottom right is a Hilco also from a hollow-cast mould, the last one; top right is probably also Rocco Hilco, I don't think it's been ascribed and while Charbens probably have some out there, although the four legs out is very Johillco-like!