Variations of 813 Girl with feeding Bucket - Left: white plastic figures and, right: pink plastic figures

813 Girl with feeding Bucket

Derived from the lead mould Girl with Feeding Bucket (747) issued between 1948-59. Produced in pink or white plastic marked 'BRITAINS LTD ENGLAND' on underside of base. There are three standard paint schemes:

· Pink plastic painted with white blouse, red overalls, shoes and scarf tied up over hair, yellow hair and feed, silver bucket and green painted base.

· Pink plastic, same colour scheme above, but navy blue overalls and shoes.

· White plastic painted with brown overalls, flesh arms and face, yellow scarf and feed, black hair and shoes.

I have a non-standard variation in white plastic with navy blue overalls, brown shoes and flesh painted arms and legs. Not available loose after the end of 1958 (though continued to be depicted in triangular box sets as 'Landgirl with Bucket' until 1961 and significantly easier to find than 812 Shepherd with lamb).

Deleted: 1958
Rarity rating: C to D 

814 Calf lying

Derived from the lead mould Calf, lying (534). Produced in smooth white plastic painted with black Friesian markings, black eyes, grey hooves or brown markings, grey hooves and black eyes. Recessed base marked with 'BRITAINS LTD ENGLAND' on the underside.

Replaced in 1959 by H2159 Jersey Calf lying. Reissued around 1968 in pvc plastic. Replaced at the end of 1970 with a new model.

Deleted: 1970
Rarity rating: D (light brown plastic: C)

815 Field Horse, assorted colours

Derived from the lead mould Field Horse (648 & 649). Produced in white or dark brown textured plastic in two poses - either left foreleg raised or all four legs on ground with right foreleg foremost. From 1960 the Field Horse was available in assorted colours and positions.

The horse with left foreleg raised is marked on underbelly 'MADE IN ENGLAND BRITAINS LTD' or 'BRITAINS LTD MADE IN ENGLAND'. The horse with all four legs on the ground with right foreleg foremost is always marked 'BRITAINS LTD MADE IN ENGLAND'.

Brown plastic field horses are painted with a black mane, tail and eyes, white blaze and grey (or black) hooves. The white plastic field horse is found in two paint schemes:

· Grey mane, tail and fetlocks with chocolate brown hooves, or

· Pale green-grey mane, tail and fetlocks with darker grey-green hooves

Field Horses in white textured plasti, showing different paint schemes

Pair of ex-shop stock brown plastic Field Horses, showing the two poses produced

Both of the above colour schemes also have chocolate brown eyes, pink nostrils and mouth.   

Renumbered H2102 Field Horse, assorted colours from 1959 and from 1962 the 'H' prefix was dropped to 2102.  Changed from polythene to pvc plastic in 1968. Withdrawn at the end of 1969.

Deleted: 1969
Rarity rating: E

H2279 Cocks & Hens, assorted [816]

Derived from the lead mould Fowls, Cocks and Hens (516). These popular plump fowl were produced in black, white or tan plastic. All have a red painted wattle/comb, yellow bill, grey legs and a green base, the underside of which is unmarked.

The white and tan fowl have black painted eyes. The black plastic version is often found with green mixed in to produce a marbled effect. The legs are also found in buff. In my experience the black fowl are a little easier to find than the white or tan.

Renumbered H2279 'Cocks and Hens, assorted positions and colours' from 1959 and from 1962 the 'H' prefix was dropped to 2279.

Deleted: 1966 Rarity rating: E to D

Britains lead mould Cocks and Hens, showing the three different coloured plastic models produced

H2121 Suffolk Foal, lying [817]

Derived from the lead mould Suffolk Foal (783) issued post-war between 1955-59. Produced in white or brown textured plastic and marked 'BRITAINS LTD ENGLAND' on the underside.

· Brown foal has a white blaze, grey hooves, black eyes, mane, tail and mouth (later brown foals have an unpainted mouth and black painted hooves).

· White foal has grey painted mane, tail and hooves and chocolate brown (or black) eyes. 

Renumbered H2121 as 'Foal lying' from 1959 and from 1962 the "H" prefix was discontinued. Depicted in 1965 catalogue as 'Colt lying'. Changed from polythene to pvc plastic around 1968. Replaced from the end of 1971 with a new model. Unlike the Herald colts never produced in black plastic.

Deleted: 1971 Rarity rating: E (grey hooves: D)

Britains Brown Foals, lying - Early paint version foal to right with grey hooves

White plastic Britains Foal with chocolate brown painted eyes - Unlike the Herald colts, never issued in black plastic

H2132 Cow, feeding [821]

Derived from the lead mould Cow feeding (539). Produced in white textured plastic painted with black Friesian or brown markings, grey-green horns and hooves, pink udders, ears and muzzle and brown (or black) eyes. The underbelly is marked 'BRITAINS LTD ENGLAND'.

Renumbered H2132 in 1959 and from 1962 the 'H' prefix was dropped to 2132. Changed from polythene to pvc plastic in 1968.  The eyes are now the same colour as the body markings whilst the hooves are pale grey-green. Like the standing cow, the Britains feeding cow is also known in rare dark brown plastic with salmon pink eyes, light grey hooves, horns and tip of tail. Replaced by a new model in 1971.

Deleted: 1970 Rarity rating: E (brown plastic: C)

Exceptionally rare white Britains lead mould Sheep, standing, alongside standard grey plastic version. Courtesy Jonathan Stephens

Cow, feeding, in scarce brown P.V.C. markedly heavier than the polythene feeding cows (The Britains Standing and Lying cows were also issued in brown P.V.C.)

FARM TRIANGULAR BOXES

Issued in the new colourful triangular boxes, announced in Britains New Lines leaflet for 1958, containing the new range of Britains 'unbreakable' plastic farm animals and people. The sets were originally issued as 251F to 256F; the display inserts printed 'BRITAINS' and 'UNBREAKABLE'. Following the merger with Herald the sets were renumbered and the display inserts changed to 'BRITAINS LIMITED' and 'HERALD MODELS'. There were three box sizes:

H7590 [251F]
H7591 [252F]
H7592 [253F]

These sets, measuring 13"x 6.5"x 1.25", each contained 6 pieces - 251F an assortment of animals, 252F contained the Girl with Bucket and 253F the Shepherd with Lamb. The small triangular sets were renumbered H7590, H7591 and H7592, respectively, in 1959. Set H7592 was withdrawn in 1959 whilst H7590 and H7591 in 1961.

Deleted: 1959 and 1961
Rarity rating: B

Britains Triangular Farm Box Set H7590, with Herald Calf, lying, issued between 1959 and 1961. Courtesy Vectis Auctions

H7585 [254F] 

Medium size set, measuring 18"x 9"x 1.25", containing an assortment of 12 animals was renumbered H7585 in 1959. Withdrawn at the end of 1961.

Deleted: 1961
Rarity rating: A

H7586 [255F]  

Medium size set, 11 pieces, containing an assortment of animals, together with the Shepherd with Lamb and Girl with Bucket. Set 255F was renumbered H7586 in 1959 and withdrawn by the end of the same year.

Deleted: 1959 Rarity rating: A

H7573 [256F]

Comprehensive set, 17 pieces, measuring 21"x 10.5"x 1.25", containing an assortment of animals, together with the Shepherd with Lamb and Girl with Bucket. Set 256F was renumbered H7573 in 1959 and withdrawn at the end of the same year.

Deleted: 1959
Rarity rating: A

FARM PICTURE PACKS 

Britains issued a new series of plastic Farm Picture Packs, allocated a 6000 series, to complement the metal Farm Picture Packs introduced some ten years earlier. Britains used the same printed carton with a colourful farm scene designed for the metal Home Farm Series. After only 2 years the Picture Packs were withdrawn though, since the contents were simply wrapped in tissue paper, later used as trade cartons for the smaller plastic farm animals from 1960. For 1959 only the Farm Picture Packs were renumbered in the 'H' series and shown under the Herald plastic section of the combined catalogue and, for that one year, contained a mixture of Britains/Herald animals and people:

H5551 [6001] - Cow standing, Sheep standing and Calf lying (3 pieces)

H5552 [6002] - Sheep feeding, Collie Dog standing and Shepherd with Lamb - replaced with the Herald shepherd for 1959 only (3 pieces)

H5553 [6003] - Duck, Drake, Fowl and Girl with feeding Bucket - replaced with the Herald Farmer's Daughter for 1959 only (4 pieces)

H5554 [6004] - Goose, 2 Pigs, Piglet and Angry Gander (5 pieces)

H5555 [6005] - 2 Geese, Foal lying and Angry Gander (4 pieces)

H5556 [6006] - Duck, Sheep feeding, Sheep standing, Lamb and 2 Piglets (6 pieces)

Deleted: 1959 Rarity rating: A

Extract from 1958 Britains New Lines leaflet. The Picture Packs were only issued in 1958 and 1959. For 1959, those Britains lead mould figures which were deleted at the end of 1958 - were replaced with Herald models

Tags: Intro to Britains Plastic Farm Models, Figures and Toy Soldiers