U is for Unknown Military - Pre 1900

This is another lot of unknowns, mostly Knights and Pirates, with a couple of Napoleonic subjects and a nice pair of Samurai. An Airfix Guardsman is used as a height/size indicator.

The first (top left) should be French, he certainly has a lot in common with plenty of French plastics but may only be a Hong Kong copy? To the right of him is a rubber figure which for some reason; I have a hunch is Spanish. Beneath him are two Samurai, I suspect these are Kinder, although they aren't in any of the Kinder catalogues, Kinder issue some items unique to specific countries [They are not from the MB Games 'Shogun' game]. Finally a Napoleonic officer who will not look out of place next to some of Italeri or Zvezda's latest 'tall' production.

I'm told these are from Italy, and the horses do display a passing resemblance to the Res Plastics horses supplied in two parts to kinder in recent years, but any idea on the maker? 15th November 2017 - PRB, after Manurba, two sizes, both now together in  their own post.

These were issued in 54mm by an Atlantic offshoot (Gigi? the one with a puppy and laurel wreath logo and/or Heller; see below) in two sets of 10 poses, showing Italian, Neapolitan and other states 19th/20th C ceremonial uniforms. In 30mm you only find the three poses although I have some orange ones somewhere - the colours of the Italian flag!. [The others have turned up, they aren't orange! (I think the orange ones were in the sample with these, which were split with the finder, he had one of each pose including the orange one's) they're yellow and they are closer to 25mm AND are three of the other poses! the 54mm sets were issued by Heller as a paint-your-own set with some phials of paint and a brush]

More Italians? The top three seem to be the ends of sweet tubes, or lolly-pop stick covers? I feel the sculpting is quite Italian in execution [they are similar to Bonito tube tops]? The guy on the left is - I suspect - a Hong Kong Christmas cracker toy, but quite fun, while the one on the right is obviously from a board-game, but which one? I can't find him on Boardgamegeek (a link is to the right somewhere). [Ron Chiasson did find him on BBG; He's a pirate from the board game 'Skull and Crossbones, by Paul Lamond Games, thanks Ron]


This is the complete strip 'F', after the figures have been separated, there is also a strip 'A', not sure if there were others. The 'A' strip includes a cartoon'ish captain similar to the one on the left in the previous group above, so they may be from a kids TV cartoon? I'm feel they were issued in UK breakfast cereal, but no one knows which? Equally they could be game playing pieces as they come in the four primary colours of red, green, blue and yellow.